JI concerned over sharing of sensitive data with MQM

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi chief Hussain Mahenti has written a letter to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Fakruddin G Ebrahim in which he has expressed deep concern over the establishment of an Election Call Center by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), instead of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
In the letter, Mahenti raised questions pertaining to the polling scheme and voters’ verification.
Mahenti asked the CEC whether the polling scheme had been completed and whether the voters’ list had been finalised. If not, then he questioned how MQM could have access to this sensitive information, which it is using to provide information on telephone calls.
In the letter, Mahenti was of the view that NADRA should be made liable to share its data with the ECP only and not with any particular political party.
“How can a party get this sensitive data? Has the ECP allowed the said party to carry out this activity? Will other parties share the same data?” questioned Mahenti.
“Establishment of an Election Call Center by MQM seems to imply that the ECP has kneeled down in front of MQM,” Mahenti said in his letter.
“Holding of transparent elections under such a situation is not possible,” he said.
In his letter, Mahenti pleaded the CEC to take serious notice of the matter and probe into how the sensitive data was shared with a particular party and requested that appropriate measures be taken to ensure holding of fair and free elections.
He also appealed to the CEC to upload all relevant details including voters’ lists, polling scheme, polling stations, polling agents and applications of candidates on the ECP website.