Audit of NA-110 votes: 102,950 votes not verifiable, says NADRA

Only 44,728 counterfoils authenticated after automated fingerprint identification

ISLAMABAD: The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has informed the top court that the fingerprints of 102,950 voters at the NA-110 (Sialkot-I) constituency could not be verified. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif was elected from the constituency in the May 2013 general elections.

The Supreme Court’s three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali on January 19 directed NADRA to complete the verification of thumb impressions within three months.



The order came during the hearing of a plea filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Usman Dar, who, after losing the seat, alleged rigging at the constituency during the May 2013 polls.

Submitting its forensic report on Wednesday, NADRA Chairman Usman Yousaf Mobeen told the bench that 147,698 voters were processed through Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) out of which 102,950 could not be verified due to poor quality of the fingerprints on their counterfoil.

However, computerised national identity card (CNIC) numbers on counterfoils of such votes were valid. Meanwhile, 3,478 votes were not qualified.



The report said 44,728 counterfoils were authenticated by the AFIS as the fingerprints affixed on counterfoil correctly matched with fingerprints data of registered voters held with NADRA.

On May 8, NADRA submitted pre-scanning report of counterfoils. The report had found missing the election material of 29 polling stations of NA-110.



According to NADRA, the election materials of total 29 polling stations including 12, 21, 22, 38, 47, 54, 68, 73, 76, 81, 84, 101, 107, 116, 118, 121, 124, 132, 134, 138, 153, 170, 186, 202, 203, 215, 216, 217 and 218 were missing, while 242 used counterfoils are also missing.

The pre-scanning report also said that total 1,729 counterfoil books were received. Out of them eight books could not be scanned due to seepage.

Khawaja Asif’s counsel Rasheed Nawaz Kasuri told the media that Asif will remain a winner even if 3,478 votes are excluded as the gap between Asif and the PTI candidate is that of 22,000 votes. Asif had won NA-110 seat with 92,803 votes, while the PTI’s Usman Dar bagged 71,525 votes.

Soon after the general elections, the PTI had approached the apex court, seeking verification of thumb impressions of voters in NA-110, NA-122 (Lahore-V), NA-125 (Lahore-VIII) and NA-154 (Lodhran-I).

Re-elections have already been held in NA-122 and NA-154 due to massive irregularities. Likewise, an election tribunal had ordered re-polling in NA-125, but the matter is still sub judice in the top court.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 2^nd, 2016.