Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan on Thursday announced that the government was ready to form a committee to probe the alleged rigging in the May 11 general elections.
To a calling attention notice, Nisar said, “We want to improve electoral system with censuses of all political parties and the Election Commission of Pakistan and taking output from other countries so no one in the future can point a finger at the fairness of elections”.
He said heads of political parties should first define the terms of reference of the committee within three days so that work on this important issue could be started.
The interior minister said the government and opposition should point out 20 constituencies each to examine whether any rigging was done there.
“I am giving a blank cheque to all political parties for finalising the terms of reference and all government departments would extend all out assistance to the committee to probe rigging allegations”.
The minister also suggested that the committee should reveal the facts within a month.
“The people involved in rigging should be exposed. Action should be initiated against returning officers, presiding officers if found guilty “. He said the committee should be given a timeframe of one month to complete its findings and proposals.
Nisar said the committee should be fully authorised to summon the former caretaker prime minister and the caretaker chief ministers in order to find the truth and those involved in rigging should be de-notified.
Leader of the Opposition Khurshid Shah welcomed the government’s decision to form a committee on election rigging and electoral reforms. He suggested that two members be taken from the opposition parties.
Shah said output should also be taken from the Election Commission and all doubts of the people regarding the election should be addressed.
PTI leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi said the issue was raised by his party chief Imran Khan and his party had no objection on the formation of a committee. Qureshi said the electoral system should be improved so that no one could object to the elections in future.
Former NA speaker Fehmida Mirza said announcement by the interior minister for giving a blank cheque to the committee was a welcome step and those who had stolen the mandate of the people should be punished.
Deputy Speaker Murtaza Javed Abbasi asked the heads of parties to nominate their members for a meeting tomorrow (Friday) on terms of reference of the committee.
