Election Commission Director says they have received the complaint, it has been sent to Punjab Election Commissioner. PHOTO: FILE
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Saturday took notice of a complaint by four Sialkot Jail officials stating that they were being coerced by their seniors to ensure that all voters in the prison voted for the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.
Election Commission Director General Sher Afgan said they had received the complaint and that it had been sent to the Punjab Election Commissioner Mehboob Anwer for inquiry.
Anwer said the complaint had been sent to the Home Department. He said the department had been directed to respond at the earliest and file an inquiry report. However, he said, they had not yet received a reply from them.
Punjab Prisons IG Farooq Nazeer said he had constituted an inquiry committee under Prisons DIG Mubashar Ahmad Khan to probe the allegation. Khan’s report, he said, had been sent to the Home Department from where it would go to the ECP. Nazeer said the complaint appeared to be a mischief by some jail officials. “There are 1,110 votes in jails all over the Punjab. This gives an estimate of five to six votes per constituency. That would not make much difference to the results anywhere,” he said.
A similar complaint was filed last week by some jail officials from Lahore’s Camp Jail against their superintendent, Ejaz Asghar. Prisons DIG Saliq Jalal had visited the jail and decided that the allegation was false.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 5th, 2013.
COMMENTS (32)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
Irespective of the news, I'm so happy to hear that we only have 1110 presinors in punjab jails... What a joke.....
The most important thing is that officials escalated and filed a complaint. We as citizens should start taking responsibilty like this. Bravo.
@Omer: You're right, because there's only one face of PML (N) and that's corruption. I can't believe the fact that after experiencing the rule of Nawaz and what he did to the people, the public is still in favour of him.
Caretaker federal home minister, Me Malik Habit should take notice of the complaint and see that those coercing the prisoners are taken to the task. It's only a wish. Malik Habib can't take any action which adversely affect the electoral favour to Sharif's party. He has openly shown his tilt towards sharifs.
Hello, hello...ET. Everything okay? An anti-N article? This must be a setup for the next 10 anti-IK articles, so no one can accuse you of being biased!
@Gringott: A traffic challan is also a conviction. Where do you stop judging which one of us does and which one does not qualify for the rights of citizenship? In my humble view in a democracy ALL adult citizens are entitled to vote. Race, religion, gender and arbitrary measures of "goodness" do not disqualify anyone from being a citizen.
According to Wikipedia, the number of prisoners in Punjab were 50000. Roughly, they would be somewhere from 75k-100k. Now,you can identify the culprit behind this who is saying that there are 1000 votes only
Wikipedia
False accusation. PML(N) is not in government and most of the officers appointed by PML(N)'s previous government have been removed.
@Omer: Omer bhai. Relax. Go have some cold water.
They're so desperate, next, doctors will complain about patients being forced to vote N. there are over 476000 inhouse patients. What's wrong with that? It all adds up you know. Paratha, anyone?
Convicted criminals should not be allowed to caste votes anyway. They lose right to participate in a democracy when they break the laws of the land.
All the people writing true face of PML N has been exposed should get their brains tested as they suffering from a very dangerous disease called stupidity. An enquiry has been ordered to look into the matter and here you idiots are throwing your own verdicts. And its funny how you guys use words like 'real' 'face' and the likes as if somehow you lot know much about PML N or any other for that matter whilst the fact is most of you base your opinions on what you are told by others or what your family has taught you. Grow Up!
Lol scared lion. inshallah Pakistan will soon be transformed into naya Pakistan
ET from Anti PTI to PRO PTI, i wonder how come sudden change, oh wait too much political ads being aired by PTI :P
Surprised to see ET taking the time out from bashing Imran and PTI to do some real journalism. Kudos!
Current News: We are being forced to make prisoners vote PML-N: Jail officials.
News in the near future: We were forced to attack Sarabjit by the Jail officials: Prisoners.
PMLN and Bureaucracy consider themselves patriotic and they have strong interaction.
And what guarantee do we have that these Prisons DIGs, who decided the allegations as false, aren't already on PML-Ns payroll?
May Allah(swt) rid Pakistan of corruption.
So first Election Commission Director received the complaint, he sent it to the Punjab Election Commissioner who in turn sent it to Home Department. Which would also send the complaint somewhere else, at the end of the week nothing would be done about this poll-rigging.
Pakistan Zindabad!
Express Tribune has done a good job to expose PMLN, although such tactics from M/s Nawaz Shariff and bros. is not new. I hope ET office is not attacked by Nawazi Lahoris. At the same time I can see desperation in the ranks of PMLN, asking jail officials to help in securing votes from helpless, voiceless, toothless people. Shame all the way!!
This is typical of PML(N) and status quo mindset and this demonstrate that how much they are worried from IMRAN KHAN’s foot solidiers the “Tabdeeli Razakar” and the conclusion is that all the roads are going to PTI victory.
I'm sure this is going to be thrown under the rug. No coverage would be given to highlight the corrupt means PML-N uses to gain votes.
Judges and courts are going to keep silent and the show will go on.
real face of PMLN
Forcing people to vote for them... and they say they are the shers of Pakistan. Look more like cowardly thugs who are too afraid to fight fairly.
Bqut I'm sure the incompetence of pmln supporters will allow them to overlook all their faults.
typical PML
This is what they are doing all over Pakistan to get votes, but let me clear them...they have already lost elections. 11 May is the day we'll make Naya Pakistan, inshallah.
So the cat is out of the bag? PML-N using its traditional ways!!
Wake ECP and disqualify PML-N !!!
"There are 1,110 votes in jails all over the Punjab" Is this IG Prisons nuts or what? There must be at least a 100,000 prisoners in Punjab Jails and this Grade-22 Law Enforcer would make us believe there are only 1110 votes? This wrong statement in itself proves something is fishy and Jail officials are actually being coerced to get votes for Sharifs party.. Who could do that? Off-course IG Prisons is the one responsible for coersion & wants us to buy his wrong CLARIFICATION. Height of absurdity.
The real face of PML-N. Expose these thugs.
What's the big deal? Criminals electing criminals. At least the ones in jail are still awaiting trial.