CJP takes exception to PML-Q’s allegations against ROs, tells party’s counsel not to make ‘sweeping statements’ without evidence
The Postal Foundation Press on Tuesday admitted before the judicial commission investigating poll fraud that 4.1 million ballot papers were printed without serial numbers.
Deputy Director Provincial Election Commission Lahore Abdul Waheed told the commission that additional ballot papers were printed on April 26 on the demand of returning officers. The Former DG Budget ECP told the commission that Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Intelligence Bureau (IB) gave the security clearance for Postal Foundation Press.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawyer Abdul Hafeez Pirzada told the commission that ballot papers were not published upon ROs’ demand in any province other than Punjab.
Manager Printing Corporation Fazalur Rehman told the commission that Postal Foundation Press printed 4,191,000 ballot papers without numbers while they had to hire extra men for their numbering and binding. He said that Postal Foundation Press was paid the money for its services at the end of May 2015.
Meanwhile, taking strong exception to Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) allegations that returning officers (ROs) were involved in poll rigging, Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk asked PML-Q’s counsel Dr Khalid Ranjha to present evidence in support of his allegations.
Dr Ranjha claimed that in every election different methods had been adopted to rig the election, and in 2013 general elections, rigging was done through ROs.
Justice Mulk angrily told him not to pass “sweeping statements” and asked if his statement was based on the grounds that the ROs did not issue notices to candidates at the time of the consolidation of result. Dr Ranjha contended that former president Asif Ali Zardari too had given a similar statement about the polls being rigged by the ROs. “Then bring the former president [Zardari] as witness,” demanded the CJP. Justice Amir Hani Muslim also asked Dr Ranjha to produce evidence against ROs, if he had any.
The PML-Q counsel then furnished affidavits of 14 candidates who believe the 2013 polls were rigged by ROs.
After the consultation among the members, the commission decided to uphold PML-Q’s plea for summoning ROs on Wednesday, and asked the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) counsel Salman Akram Raja to furnish Form 15 of those constituencies where the PML-Q had levelled rigging allegations.
The PML-Q had already requested the commission to summon ROs who conducted the elections in different constituencies, including NA-61, NA- 67, NA-104, NA-134, NA-140, NA-142, NA-164 and NA-186.
“These ROs should be asked why they did not issue mandatory notices to the contesting candidates under Section 39 of the Representatives of People’s Act 1976, and why they conducted the consolidation of results proceedings in the absence of candidates and their election agents,” the application stated.