Get down to specifics, JC tells rigging complainants

• JC orders NADRA to submit forensic reports of 37 constituencies, grants PPP, PTI a week to file submissions in rigging probe
• PTI chairman says his party has full confidence in the commission and will accept its verdict

The high-level judicial commission (JC) probing alleged electoral rigging has given the National Database Authority (NADRA) three days to submit forensic reports of 37 constituencies where polling was held during General Elections 2013.

The commission has also given one week’s time to all political parties for submitting detailed evidence of rigging.

The high-powered three-member commission had formally invited political parties to appear before it during its first public hearing on Thursday to submit proof of allegations of rigging in the 2013 polls.

The commission, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Masirul Mulk, comprises Justice Amir Hani Muslim and Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan. Hamid Ali Khan has been appointed as the commission’s secretary while former National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor general K K Agha was appointed as amicus curiae to assist the commission on the matter.

Around 47 individual applications have been submitted to the commission, including 21 by political parties. The political parties include Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Awami National Party (ANP), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) and others.

DETAILS SOUGHT:

PTI Chairman Imran Khan appeared before the commission on Thursday with his counsel Hafeez Pirzada, Jahangir Tareen and the party’s task force to record statements regarding electoral rigging.

Starting its open court proceedings, the JC told PTI counsel Pirzada that the statements it had submitted were “generalised”, and asked the party to submit detailed evidence of election rigging.

Asking the court for 10 days for submission, Pirzada said that the party had “thousands” of documents proving that elections were rigged.

Granting PTI a week for the purpose, the JC said that it had a limited timeframe of 45 days to complete its investigation.

Pirzada also said that the party had approached NADRA for forensic reports of 37 constituencies, however, they were not supplied by the authority.

The JC, in reply, brushed aside Pirzada’s point, saying that such reports were court’s property and not party’s. However, the commission ordered NADRA to submit the forensic reports within three days, advising the PTI counsel to collect copies of the report from the court.

When Pirzada asked the CJP to summon those federal government officers who allegedly played role in polluting the elections, the CJP made it clear that it was not known as of now if the federal government was a party to the case or not.

Moreover, the JC has also ordered the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to submit reply within a week over the submissions made by PTI.

PPP, JI, PML-Q PUT IN THEIR WORD:

Representatives of the PPP and JI also appeared before the commission.

While JI asked the commission for seven days for arranging a lawyer for the proceedings, PPP counsel Latif Khosa enquired from the commission as to how its hearing would affect cases pending at election tribunals.

Making his point, PML-Q counsel Khalid Ranjha claimed that the role of returning officers made elections controversial, adding that candidates’ agents were not allowed access to results in any constituency.

CJP IS CLEAR:

Setting a track for the proceedings, the court directed the counsels to present minute details of their complaints with proofs, as it was “not a court but a commission”.

The CJP said that the JC would present its report over the alleged matter of rigging within the legal boundaries and without worrying about the end results. He said that the government would have the final verdict in the matter. The commission’s job is to finalise its report based on evidences, he added.

The commission stated that investigation in the case will take place according to the terms of reference in the Ordinance issued by the President. It also directed the participating political parties to refrain from giving media interviews in the Supreme Court precincts as it may influence the proceedings.

All parties were ordered to collect and submit detailed evidence and documents of proof to the commission, after which the proceedings were adjourned for one week.

KHAN IS HAPPY:

In the meanwhile, PTI Chairman Imran Khan, whose rigging complainants furnished JC’s formation, told reporters Thursday that this was the first time in Pakistan’s history that an investigation was being conducted on electoral rigging.

“After the investigation completes, masses will find out the extent to which their mandate was stolen during the elections. Today is a red letter day for Pakistan’s democracy. Whatever happens, Pakistan’s democracy will strengthen,” Khan said.

“We have full confidence in the commission and it has set the direction. We are very happy,” he said, adding whatever will be outcome of the hearing would be accepted by the party. He said that the party would submit all the material regarding vote rigging next week.