CEC vows action against Sindh LG polls ‘manipulators’

Says experience of entrusting responsibility with admin officers in Sindh wasn’t fruitful

ISLAMABAD:

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja on Wednesday lamented that the experience of giving responsibility to the administrative officers in Sindh during the local government elections was not fruitful, vowing to take “strict action” against those responsible in the alleged rigging in the electioneering process.

The CEC made these remarks while hearing a case of alleged irregularities in six union councils of Karachi at the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

It is pertinent to mention that the second phase of local government elections was held in 16 districts of Sindh on January 15. However, the polls plunged into uncertainty after it took more than 36 hours of delay to announce the results.

The delay prompted rigging claims from Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and other parties, accusing the ECP of mismanagement. The opposition also accused the provincial administration of “rigging and managing things” in its favour.

The final tally of the local government polls released by the election supervisor gave the ruling PPP 91 seats in Karachi, which retains a slight edge over the JI’s 85 seats.

The UCs in question include three in Orangi Town and one each in Mominabad, Gulshan-e-Iqbal and Manghopir.

A three-member bench led by CEC heard the JI’s petition on Wednesday.

Raja asked JI to provide Form 11 and results issued by the returning officers, assuring the party that their reservations would be addressed.

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He said if any negligence was found, not only the results will be rectified but action will be taken against those responsible for mismanagement.

During the hearing, JI counsel maintained that the issue of six UCs was only presented as an example, adding that there was a difference of 1,000 to 2,000 votes in the results of presiding and returning officers in each union council.

The counsel noted that according to Form 11, PPP had secured 545 votes while the JI had bagged 2,088 votes in a UC. He said the returning officer reduced the number of JI votes in the final results.

The PTI candidate presented footage of votes being stamped in Orangi Town.

The PPP lawyer contended that JI’s request was premature and infructuous. He asked the JI to show “sportsman spirit” to which the CEC remarked that “sportsman spirit was exhibited by players”.

Raja vowed that strict action would be taken against those who had been involved in rigging and their facilitators.

He regretted that the experience of giving responsibility with the administrative officers in Sindh was not fruitful.

The ECP ordered JI to provide all material including Form 11 within a week, seeking response from the returning officers and deputy returning officers and adjourned the hearing of the case till February 2.