Swati demands forensic audit of RTS failure on polling day

–Nadra says ready to provide any explanation, present itself for audit

ISLAMABAD: PTI Senator Azam Khan Swati on Friday said the sudden failure of Result Transmission System (RTS) on election day had cast doubts over the transparency of polling results, therefore, a forensic audit should be conducted into the alleged failure.

Addressing a press conference along with Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry in the federal capital, Swati also reiterated his demand that a transparent probe was not possible in the presence of the incumbent Nadra chairman.

“We are not here to give clarification for the Election Commission of Pakistan’s personnel nor to target NADRA,” he said. “Nadra chairman and his subordinates should relinquish office to facilitate the forensic audit.”

The PTI leader said that the ECP and NADRA’s statements were contrary to each other, adding that the ECP should prove that the polls were free and fair.

Fawad Chaudhry, at the occasion, said that his party believed in a free and fair electoral system and did not want anyone to be able to raise a finger over its transparency.

The info minister reminded that it was Pakistan cricket team’s captain Imran Khan who introduced neutral umpires in international cricket and he strongly believed in fairness and transparency.

‘READY FOR ANY AUDIT’:

Reacting to the presser, Nadra, later in the day, said that the authority was ready to provide any explanation and present itself for any forensic audit.

The Nadra spokesperson further clarified that there was no problem in data being transferred from the RTS to the ECP’s Result Management System (RMS).

“There is no connection between the RTS and the RMS and the RTS remained completely functional [throughout the compilation of results of the General Elections.],” the Nadra spokesperson said.