Were 2013 elections rigged? Nisar calls session to 'clear the air'

Nisar invites PTI's Justice Wajihuddin to oversee the verification of thumbprints on votes.

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar. PHOTO: AFP/FILE

ISLAMABAD:
Federal Minister for Interior Affairs Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan wrote to all parliamentarians, inviting them to a joint sitting of parliament to clear up the air over recent debates on the thumbprint verification of votes for this year's general elections, Express News reported on Sunday.

Express News correspondent Aamir Ilyas Rana reported that the Interior Minister has invited Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's Justice Wajihuddin to oversee the verification of thumbprints on votes to dispel rumours that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz was attempting to manipulate verification results in their favour.

Nisar raised several issues in the letter. He stated in a National Assembly session a few days ago, that the current government was not responsible for ensuring the use of magnetic ink and the subsequent verification of votes through it.

He said the elections were not conducted by PML-N officials but by Election Commission of Pakistan and caretaker ministers who mostly consisted of Pakistan People's Party representatives.

The minister reiterated the same issues in the letter.

He asked if magnetic ink was ever used in any elections in Pakistan including those of this year. He asked who was responsible for delivering the ink to the polling stations and training the relevant officers for its use?

Nisar also stated that it was useless to keep debating over the issue if magnetic ink had not been used and verification was entirely impossible. He questioned, then who was responsible for instigating and prolonging this debate and what their motive could be?

In an attempt to clear the name of PML-N in the whole matter, Chaudhry Nisar has placed the ball in the opposition's court.

Nadra chairman at center of storm

The PML-N government is currently being accused by many members of the opposition for sacking NADRA Chairman Tariq Malik in a bid to tamper with the verification process.


The chairman of the National Database and Registration Authority was sacked and then within a few hours, reinstated by the Islamabad High Court on December 3.

Malik’s sacking came only days after an election tribunal asked NADRA to verify the thumb impressions of voters from the Lahore constituency NA-118, won by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Malik Riaz.

The Express Tribune had learnt then that the Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah had met with Tariq Malik and asked him for a 'compromise' on the verification results of the NA-118 constituency.

“The chief minister did not meet him. He was received by Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah who talked of thumb impressions verification in NA-118,” a source close to the Nadra chief’s office told The Express Tribune.

“Failing [to do so], he would have to face consequences,” said the officials.

The NADRA chairman chose to ‘face the consequences’. The same night the Cabinet Division issued his termination orders and the new chairman was given charge in a hurry.

On filing an application with the Islamabad High Court, though, Malik was reinstated immediately.

To make things spicier, the government is now also initiating a probe against the chairman for alleged misappropriation and irregularities.

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