ECP to take punitive action over by-poll fiasco

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) decided on Monday to initiate departmental action and criminal proceedings against those responsible for administrative negligence in light of the inquiry into the rigging in the NA-75 Daska (Sialkot-IV) by-election.

A meeting chaired by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja, and attended by ECP members Nisar Durrani, Shah Mahmood Jatoi, the ECP secretary and senior officials, also formed a committee to assist the ECP in this regard.

The Daska by-election was delayed for months because of Covid-19 pandemic. However, the polling was held on February 19 this year, but it was marred by violence and allegations of rigging. The disappearance of some presiding officers also made the results dubious.

Subsequently, the ECP withheld the results of NA-75 due to violence, rigging and the disappearance of presiding officers and ordered re-election in the entire constituency. The re-election order was upheld by the Supreme Court.

Later, the ECP formed two inquiry commissions. One commission was assigned the task to investigate the administrative officers regarding any negligence of duty on the day of polling, due to which the law and order was violated.

The second commission was formed to ascertain the facts about the presiding officers and security personnel on duty, who went missing on the election night and came to the office of the returning officer on the morning of February 20.

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The inquiry reports stated that in light of the statements of the presiding officers, use of money to influence the results of the by-elections could not be ignored. The reports found the district returning officer (DRO) and the returning officer (RO) guilty of administrative negligence.

During the inquiry proceedings, former Sialkot deputy commissioner Zeeshan Javed Lashari confessed to meeting important political personalities while then district police officer (DPO) and the deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Zulfiqar Virk blamed each other for the law and order situation, it added.

At the meeting on Monday, the inquiry reports were reviewed. The ECP made both the reports public, which are now available on the ECP’s website. It was decided in the meeting that there would be departmental action or criminal proceedings or both would be initiated against those responsible.

In this regard, the ECP constituted a committee, comprising special secretary, director general law, director human resources and deputy director law to assist the ECP. This committee would be headed by the ECP secretary.

In the wake of the administrative shortcomings of the District Returning Officer (DRO) and the returning officer (RO), both the officers had been made OSD. The next formal meeting of the commission would be held within a week.