Islamabad, March 5: A day after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan vented out his frustration of embarrassing defeat in the Senate election on the Election Commission of the country, the electoral body on Friday hit back saying it was a constitutional and independent institution and asked the premier not "sling mud" at them.

During his address to the people of Pakistan, Imran khan chided the Election Commission of Pakistan for allowing "foul play" in the recent Senate election, where his party lost a major seat to Pakistan Democratic Movement's candidate, Dawn reported. Pakistan Opposition Asks PM Imran Khan to Resign After Defeat of Govt's Candidate in Senate Elections.

Khan called out the electoral body for "protecting those who made money by holding the Senate elections through secret ballot". In a close vote, former Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani of the opposition Pakistan People's Party (PPP) defeated Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, who currently serves as the country's finance minister, by 169 to 164 votes, according to unofficial results.

The result came as a blow to Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf as his party and its allies control the National Assembly, and the implication is that some members or allies may have defected when they voted by secret ballot. In a statement, the ECP said the Senate elections were held according to the law and the Constitution and were conducted in a "good way".

"If we can listen to your recommendations, why can't we listen to your complaints? Do not sling mud at us. Have some consideration." It said the statements and discussions that had come to the electoral body through media reports were "saddening", especially statements made by "some members of the federal cabinet and specifically what the prime minister said in his address yesterday".

"It is a shocking matter that under the same staff in the same [election] under the same roof on the same day, [what they won] is acceptable and [what they lost] is unacceptable. Is this not open contradiction?" the commission questioned, adding: "The ECP rejects this."

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