KHUDAYAR MOHLA

ISLAMABAD: The top court on Wednesday sought comprehensive report from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) after tracing out record of 29 polling stations from the incumbent Defence Minister Khawaja Asif’s constituency NA 110 Sialkot which allegedly went missing after general election 2013. Resuming the hearing of runner up candidate of the PTI Usman Dar’s appeal, a three-member judge bench led by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali observed that it would be an easy game play for anybody to make election doubtful by missing the election record.

Chief Justice said at the outset of the hearing that National Database Registration Authority (NADRA) report in the matter had revealed missing record of 29 polling stations.

Seeking time to respond to the court query in the matter, Secretary of the ECP informed the bench that the Commission had got inference from the District Accounts Officer’s report that a total of 232 polling stations record was received.

While asking the ECP Secretary to respond to the court query on the matter, Chief Justice remarked, “The record may be mingled with other constituency bags so please trace out the bags and file a comprehensive report about particulars over voters’ verification”.“How much time do you require to submit the report in the matter,” the CJP asked from the Secretary of the ECP to which he replied, “One week time would be sufficient”.

Raising objections over NADRA’s report in the matter, Usman Dar’s counsel Babar Awan termed it obliging report which is trying to swindle the court, adding that corruption began from election corruption.

Terming the polling day as doomsday, Chief Justice Jamali said while addressing Awan, “You will realise being a politician that things are not orderly on ground during general election as we perceived while sitting in an air-conditioned court room.” “Let them (ECP) furnish comprehensive report after which we will examine the case,” Chief Justice Jamali said while responding to the PTI’s candidate counsel.

Giving clarification over some technical issues, Director Legal of the NADRA submitted that sign of cross about the CNIC digits in the polling form has nothing to do with concealing facts but to show the verification numbers of voters with the voters list. Issuing directives to the ECP to file comprehensive report in the matter after tracing out missing record of 29 polling stations of NA 110, the bench adjourned hearing of the case for a week.