Pakistan

Imran files petition against electoral rolls

Seeks review of the electoral process, says bogus votes make present assemblies dubious.

Azam Khan April 08, 2011

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) has filed a petition in the Supreme Court of Pakistan seeking a revision of electoral rolls and a reform of the electoral process.

In a press conference held to explain the details of the petition filed in the Supreme Court, PTI Chairman Imran Khan said that the recent revelation by the Election Commission that almost 44 per cent of registered voters are bogus votes made the status of the present assemblies and the government dubious.

Khan said that to save Pakistan from a bloody revolution or complete chaos, it is essential that the right of franchise be given to the people of Pakistan so that the change that the people of Pakistan are yearning for can be achieved peacefully and through the ballot box.

A government formed on bogus votes does not represent the people of Pakistan and nor can it be expected to protect the vital interests of the citizens. He alleged that a political mafia is ruling Pakistan that was elected through bogus votes.

He said the only hope for a democratic change in Pakistan rests around an independent election commission and new electoral lists.

The PTI Chairman said that the purpose of filing the election petition is to force the government and the Election Commission under the directives of the apex court to prepare fresh electoral rolls eliminating all bogus votes and introducing and incorporating the new eligible votes that can be verified from the database and record of NADRA.

He suggested preparation of electoral roll in a manner that should include the name of a voter in such electoral area wherein his address mentioned on the CNIC of the voter exists.

There is need to introduce electronic voting machine for the use of voters in the future general elections including the photographs of the voters in electoral rolls in the future elections.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 8^th, 2011.

COMMENTS (17)

Dr. Saleem Siddiqi | 13 years ago | Reply Nadra has its Finger print database for all the NICD holders. Pakistan can make its own Electronic Voting machine finger impression recognizable. These days this is not that costly and even runs on battery instead of electricity to avoid load shedding problem and being used at remote location of Pakistan. We have ample time to thing this device from NOW as we still have more than one year to go - NADRA should do this look ahead and present Naion with a good news.

mujh92 | 13 years ago | Reply One thing for sure that every thing Imran Khan says and insists it always turns out that his demand was right and just and people come to realise that later,For example Refrees in Cricket,A free and independent judiciary in Pakistan, and its been some time he has been calling for a Free and Independent Election Commision in Pakistan.I am hopeful that soon this will happen and pave the way for for those people to elect their representative freely without fear of them wasting their vote.

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SYED ADEEB | 13 years ago | Reply The Express Tribune recently published very important news about over 37 million bogus voters or fake votes casted in the 2008 parliamentary elections in Pakistan. The Tribune news report of 31 March 2011 - headlined "Bogus voter petition disposed by SC - SC disposes off petition seeking the removal of 37 million bogus votes from the voters list of the Election Commission [of Pakistan (ECP)]" - pointed out: "The Election Commission Secretary has said that National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has confirmed 37 million bogus voters." http://tribune.com.pk/story/140358/bogus-voter-petition-disposed-by-sc What did the Supreme Court of Pakistan do regarding this petition to reform the corrupt electoral system of Pakistan? The Supreme Court of Pakistan must declare the February 2008 parliamentary elections as unconstitutional, illegal, null and void, because there were over 37 million fake voters (fictitious persons) listed in the 2008 voters lists of the ECP. Indeed, the 2008 elections were rigged, fraudulent and illegal, because they were held under the illegal PCO, the unlawful National Robbers Ordinance (NRO) and the illegal tyranny of military dictator Pervez Musharraf. Therefore, the President, the Prime Minister, the four governors, the four chief ministers, all federal and provincial ministers, all MNAs and Senators, all MPAs, the ruling federal Cabinet/government and all the four provincial governments in Pakistan are unconstitutional, unlawful and fraudulent, because more than 37 million bogus or fake votes were illegally casted in the 2008 parliamentary elections. If almost all Pakistani voters want a real democracy to govern Pakistan, then they will have to elect new democratic governments in 2011 through new, fair, just, transparent and democratic elections in which NO one can cast any bogus or fake vote under a reformed electoral system of Pakistan.

B.R.Bajaj | 13 years ago | Reply Imran Khan should lead a mass movement against Corruption in pakistan on the same lines as launched in India by Anna Hazare.The Suupreme court orders are treated with contempt in Pakistan, and fresh order on electoral roll shall find dust in some corner.The only way forward is the public movement and Imran with unblemished record and a crusador in his own right is a right person to lead. Nevertheless the petition, with all its limitations, is a good step forward. I wonder the silence of security establishment at such blantant neglect of court orders and rampant corruption prevailing accross the nation. May be, there is complete synergy of interest between the Governement and the security establishment, and the victim is a common man and Pakistan as a Nation.

Dr. Saleem Siddiqi | 13 years ago | Reply Chief Justice should form a committee of Judges which should be sent to India to see and practically observe Electronic voting. They must also take chief election commission with them so that he may bring this experience to Pakistan with its pros and cons. It is high time that we must try this Electronic voting machine, which is very cheap and indegeniously made in India. Atleast we will get rid of this bogus voting compaint once and for all as every loosing party resort to this excuse after loosing in Election.

txbashi | 13 years ago | Reply I think reforming election comission as an indipendent body is key to electoral reform in Pakistan. 45% of votes being bogus is a shame and puts doubt on current national/provincial members. It is interesting that after this revelation, no political party raised any concerns or filed any petition on behalf thier defeated candidates in the 2008 election, why? becuase they are aware of these bogus votes. From Karachi to Kashmor old political parties have learned all the dirty tricks to cast bogus votes and claim that the masses are with them. In Karachi, 48 per cent of the city’s population is Urdu-speaking'(Dawn, June 25, 2010) BUT the MQM by force take 98% of the electoral votes. Imran Khan has done right and should be given a chance by the true voters of Pakistan.

Najib Khan | 13 years ago | Reply One thing I am sure & confident about Imran Khan, that whatever he undertakes he for sure ensures to complete it or at least deliver it to its logical end, as he himself has had been a great deliverer . He is the one who never gives up and never believes in accepting a loss without putting up a fight , at least we have seen this character of him in his cricketing & captaincy days. all those loyal to this country are looking at people like Imran Khan & other sincere & honest leaders like him to steer this country out of the leadership crises . the need of the hour is however to put into the place a Government comprising of technocrats & aggressive businessmen who can run the country on the pattern of a profitable business organization so that whole country can derive the benefits , & the benefits can trickle down the masses also , like China is running its affairs , like HongKong, Like Singapore etc, otherwise this country so far has been run like an orphanage or a charity house.

Kausar | 13 years ago | Reply As finally accepted by NADRA that about 44% of the voters lists carried bogus names, that means the actual number of registered voters was about 36 million, which comes to about 19.50% of the total population of Pakistan - said to be 180 million. Alas, what a system we got in 62 years of independence, where if a political party gets about 10% of the registered votes can form the government - of course along with some lotas easily available in the market. What sort of democracy is this? The Hon. Supreme Court of Pakistan must take notice of this situation as to how any party could rule the country which takes only about 10% of the registered votes. Secondly, a minimum qualification to cast a vote must be fixed as 'matriculate', as what acumen the illiterates have to understand the corruption of their rulers. Thirdly, a party should not be allowed to form the government if a party is not able to bag less than 50 % of the registered voters according to the new electoral list, that we hope will be free from errors/blunders.

VoK | 13 years ago | Reply @No BS: Zohair Toru hay na?!?! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sd-PSTH-npI

vortex | 13 years ago | Reply @SYED ADEEB: I salute you Mr Adeeb. Everyone I know has said as much at some point or another. This is a sham democracy forced on us using willing and greedy stooges. We need to have a change in the system followed by a purge led by transparent accountability. The average Pakistani has eaten enough grass!

faraz | 13 years ago | Reply @Syed Adeeb So you think our foreign and defence policy is run by Gilani-Zardari? I think you dont want to name the real institutions which are playing a double game of allowing terrorists to operate in FATA and taking money from US, both at the same time

faraz | 13 years ago | Reply Electronic voting machine is crucial. On election day, thugs belonging to political parties are involved in all sorts of rigging.

SYED ADEEB | 13 years ago | Reply Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan should file a new petition in the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) requesting the SCP to disqualify and kick PPP illegal President Asif Zardari and PPP unlawful PM Yousuf Gilani out of the Pakistan Government for their crimes, corruption and treason. Zardari-Gilani, the two corrupt CIA actors/traitors, have murdered thousands of innocent Pakistanis through US drone missile attacks on Pakistan. Zardari-Gilani have killed millions of innocent Afghans by supplying petrol, weapons and other war materials, through NATO trucks, from Pakistan to the NATO-ISAF military in illegally occupied Afghanistan. Zardari-Gilani have illegally granted Pakistan visas to thousands of US CIA mercenaries like Raymond Davis to sabotage or harm the Pakistan Army, Pakistan nuclear weapons program, the anti-war resistance groups and the Kashmir freedom movement. Zardari-Gilani have looted and wasted Pakistani public funds; totally bankrupted Pakistan; and turned over 185 million Pakistanis into slaves, beggars and servants of the ruling criminal politicians of Pakistan.

No BS | 13 years ago | Reply good move, but still dont see how PTI can compete with PMLN, MQM, PPP and ANP thugs on the streets

justar | 13 years ago | Reply Any honest person with integrity and good intentions for all Pakistanis will support this petition by PTI. Pakistan desperately needs to become transparent and credible - for its own sake. Well done Imran Khan and others who support a Pakistan based on justice for all its citizens.

SYED ADEEB | 13 years ago | Reply (1) The Supreme Court of Pakistan must disqualify and fire illegal PPP President Asif Ali Zardari and unlawful PPP PM Yousuf Raza Gilani; it must dismiss the illegal federal government and all four unlawful provincial governments of crooks, criminals and holders of fake degrees; and it must dissolve the Parliament (National Assembly and Senate) as well as the four provincial assemblies of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber and Balochistan, because the 2008 parliamentary and presidential elections were unconstitutional, illegal and fraudulent. (2) Asif Zardari is an unconstitutional and illegal President. Yousuf Gilani is also an unconstitutional and illegal Prime Minister. These two corrupt PPP politicians were NOT elected by 185 million Pakistanis. They were selected by fake MNAs, Senators and MPAs who themselves occupied the assemblies through unconstitutional, illegal and fraudulent parliamentary elections of February 2008. Zardari took an illegal oath of his office from an unlawful PCO Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar. Gilani took an unlawful oath of his office from illegal tyrant Pervez Musharraf. All Pakistanis should stop calling Zardari as "President" and Gilani as "Prime Minister". (3) The Zardari-Gilani tyranny was imposed on the Pakistani Nation by imperialistic war criminals of the USA-UK through fraudulent elections - held under an illegal dictatorship of Dictator Musharraf, an unlawful PCO and an illegal National Robbers Ordinance (NRO) - to supply petrol, weapons and other war materials from Pakistan to the NATO-ISAF to maintain the illegal occupation of Afghanistan. (4) New parliamentary and presidential elections must be held under a new electoral system of equal representation of all constituents and constituent services for all residents of all constituencies; a new, reformed and independent elections commission of Pakistan; the Supreme Court of Pakistan and the Pakistan Army.

Mastuj | 13 years ago | Reply I sincerely hope that the SC takes notice of this petition. If these changes are brought through, it could bring about massive change in Pakistan. Inshallah.

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