ISLAMABAD: The Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN), an NGO, has expressed concerns over subjective interpretation and selective use of its observation findings by political parties to support their respective views about the quality of general elections 2013, urging them to take into account the findings “holistically for realistic reforms”.

FAFEN reiterates that its mandate is to provide objective, non-partisan information on the quality of electoral processes from the pre-election period through the post-election phase. FAFEN has documented several specific types of election irregularities that are probably endemic to every election in Pakistan’s history and must finally be corrected in order for future elections to be more genuine and accurately reflect the will of voters.

Whether any irregularity changed the result of the general elections 2013 in one or more constituencies can only be determined through independent investigation, preferably with input from independent election experts, a recommendation FAFEN has made and reinforced since May 2013. The central point to this investigation will be verification and audit of all key documents and result-related forms that have yet to be made public by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).—INP