Imran Khan must be regretting the day he decided to enter politics. He knows that after two and a half years of mis-governance, he doesn't stand a chance of winning a bye-election. And so it proved. His party lost its coveted seat in Nowshera and more seats in Punjab and Sindh. When he saw which way the wind was blowing, after seeing the obviously high turnout of PMLN supporters at the polling booths, he arranged to rig the bye-election in Daska. But this time apparently he didn't have the support of the establishment, so he used the police to do so. And, as expected, the police bungled.

Twenty two polling presiding officers were kidnapped and held incommunicado for eleven hours. They returned with bags full of bogus votes and (wonder of wonders!), all the bogus votes were in favor of the ruling party! Voter turnout in other polling stations was 35 percent, but in those where the kidnapped officers were posted, it was 88 percent. Even Imran Khan must have been stunned at the stupidity of his men.

But we're lucky that the whole thing was made viral on social media, including the capture of one man who was taking away bags full of genuine votes. The man was handed over to the cops, who will probably confine him in a secret place for the next few days.

Even the Election Commission has been compelled to say that there has been rigging and has refused to announce the result until its inquiry is conducted. If Iman's men hadn't been so inefficient, his party would have won the seat, but now it looks like another election will have to be done. Unless the Election Commissioner is coerced into declaring victory for the ruling party in the rigged bye-election. 

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