PTI chairperson Imran Khan. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
ISLAMABAD:
It came as a surprise to many when Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf Chairman Imran Khan, after meeting Acting Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Justice Nasirul Mulk on April 4, refused to meet other members of the electoral body.
Sources in the Election Commission Pakistan (ECP) told The Express Tribune that it came as a blow for everyone when Imran only held an hour-long meeting with the CEC and did not meet the other members of the body despite their availability.
“After the 18th Amendment, the CEC’s powers have been shifted across the ECP which comprises five members, and matters are decided with consensus,” sources added.
When contacted, PTI Vice President Hamid Khan said Imran did not meet the other ECP members because they were ‘dishonest’.
“I was also present with Imran Khan during the meeting but we have made it clear that the conduct of ECP’s members was dubious in the last general elections and despite our applications the former CEC, Fakhruddin G Ebrahim, did not take notice of the illegal activities in Sindh and Punjab,” he added.
Govt employee deployment
In compliance with the Supreme Court order, the ECP has submitted a report regarding the deployment of federal government employees at polling stations during the May 11 elections.
The apex court on February 11 had sought an explanation from the ECP on a complaint filed by the PTI regarding an alleged non-compliance with the court’s guidelines to borrow employees from the federal government as polling staff for the elections in view of the court’s June 8, 2012 order in the Workers Party case.
Giving details of deployment, a senior official told The Express Tribune that less than one per cent of federal government’s employees had performed election duty in K-P and Balochistan. “Only 175 federal government employees were deployed in Balochistan while 220 officials were deployed in K-P,” he added.
The government had, however, sought services of around 28,000 federal government employees in Balochistan and over 25,000 in K-P.
Regarding the commission’s report, Hamid Khan said the report proved the ECP did not comply with the apex court’s judgement in the Workers Party case. “Though I had filed an application before the ECP to hire services of officials from the railways and WAPDA in 13 constituencies of Lahore but the commission did not accept our request in this regard”.
The apex court will resume hearing of PTI chairman’s petition regarding the verification of thumb impression in four constituencies on Thursday (April 17).
Published in The Express Tribune, April 7th, 2014.
Correction: This story was initially captioned "May 11 election rigging: Imran snubs provincial election bosses." The headline and the story content has been changed to reflect the correction that Imran Khan had actually snubbed other central members of the Election Commission of Pakistan - not the provincial commissioners.
COMMENTS (14)
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PTI has failed in KPK. Now they want to divert the attention of voters towards other issue. PTI has done nothing in KPK. They will badly loose next elections.
Imran says, "Others are dishonest". I say, "Imran is the most dishonest".
@Chachoo: Does not past record and their negligence have any impact on someone's opinion
@Chachoo
I dont know why its so difficult for you to understand that if khan doesn't consider someone right its his very right to decide whether or not to meet him or her..that has got nothing to do with judging.M not a big fan of IK but i mean its common sense man
Have a life...
he has developed election phobia
How dare he ridicule the ECP? Afterall what a great job done by ECP in the 11 may elections. Just read the results of the NADRA report after thump verification http://tribune.com.pk/story/614719/57642-bogus-votes-cast-in-na-256-karachi-nadra-report/
i recommend we give Sitara-e-Imtiaz to all the ECP members .........
Thanks God he is not the Prime Minister of Pakistan. A man who do not have any control over his MPA's in KPK how can we expect that he should have had any control over his MNA'S while in power in the center. In ten months the party already is divided into two groups and lets see how long will it survive.
Imran Khan please come out of the frame of becoming the Prime Minister if and but there wasn't and cheating. Its done and nothing can change and . Work with sincerity and honestly with your present job as we see no change.
Throw the BUG out of your mind that you can't become the Prime Minister so try hard for the next election.
This fascist attitude of PTI should be opposed.
show some sportsman spirit, i am sure Imran Khan has lost it. please stop it and move on.
@ Afzaal Khan Good one bro!
But compared to the corrupt political family that ruled in the past and the family which is now in power thru 'punctured' elections, Imran Khan is indeed the Modern Sher Shah Suri not dreaming but deserving to be the Prime Minister of Pakistan.
@Chachoo
Seems like only you have right to pass judgment by calling him names, right? :)
PTI Vice President Hamid Khan said Imran did not meet the other ECP members because they were ‘dishonest’.
Imran Khan has no right to pass judgement on anyone and call them Honest or Dishonest based on personal opinions. What we can expect from the PTI followers who maul the personalities of everyone when their leader is infact the leader of Generalization as well??. The Modern Sher Shah Suri is still having dreams to be the Prime Minister and he could degrade others just like his supporters to achieve his target.