PML-N, MQM asked to respond to allegations

KHUDAYAR MOHLA

ISLAMABAD: A three-member inquiry commission formed to probe the alleged rigging in 2013 general elections Thursday sought responses form Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Mutahidda Qaumi Movement (MQM) over allegations leveled against them by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Jamat-e-Islami respectively.

Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk being the Chairman of the General Elections 2013 Inquiry Commission (GEIC) said that certain allegations have been made against PML-N and MQM.

The Chairman said in his order: “It will therefore be necessary to issue notices to the said political parties who shall file their responses, if they so desire, by April 25 noon before the secretary of the Commission”.

The GEIC also asked that any other party that wishes to have any witness examined by the Commission should furnish the list and file any additional document, if they so desire, by April 25 noon. The Chairman of the GEIC Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk said: “It may however be clarified that it will be for the Commission to decide as to which of the witnesses may be called to testify considering their relevance to the terms of reference”.

The GEIC also said that on the next date all the political parties who have presented the proposals will be required to assist the Commission on the modalities to be adopted for further proceedings.

Aitzaz Ahsan, who appeared on behalf of PPP and submitted a proposal, said that submission of document will save the time of the Commission for meaningful results in the current matter.

He proposed that polling bags of one-fourth of about 70 constituencies could be selected for examination and requested the GEIC to direct the Returning Officers (ROs) and Deputy Returning Officers (DROs) to notify all candidates to appear before designated ROs/Additional Sessions Judges on a specified date.

He underscored the need for conducting inspection on a day-to-day basis to ascertain completeness and correctness of record, destruction of any of the prescribed documents especially if it indicates a pattern and the impact of the destroyed documents.

Ahsan said the entire process can be completed in 5 to 7 days, adding that within 8 to 10 days the ROs/DROs should submit their reports to the GEIC accordingly.

He submitted that no candidate or party will be able to resist or oppose any order which pertains to the examination of the electoral record contained in the polling bags.

The counsel for PPP further said that similarly another 70 constituencies can be selected to be inspected within the next 10 days and so on and so forth. He urged the GEIC to direct the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to provide the profile of National Assembly (NA) and provincial assemblies (PAs) constituencies to show the discrepancies, if any, in the votes cast for the NA and those for PAs.

However, the GEIC said that the proposal submitted by the PPP counsel would be provided to other political parties. Appearing in the matter on behalf of the PTI, Hafeez Pirzada sought the GEIC direction to the ECP to seal and preserve all the election material relating to the general elections of 2013. To which, Salman Akram Raja, representing the ECP, gave his undertaking that the material will be secured and preserved.

While addressing Pirzada, Chief Justice asked him to submit material to substantiate his claim how the 2013 general elections were manipulated; how these were planned and what was the plan to design polls?

“On the next date all the political parties who have presented the proposals shall assist the Commission on the modalities to be adopted for further proceeding with the matter,” Chairman of the Commission said. Adjourning the hearing of the public hearing of the GEIC, the Chairman said, “the Commission shall convene on April 27 at 1pm.”