Deepening controversy: ECP tasked to probe vote fraud allegations
“The termination of Malik’s contract had nothing to do with the verification of votes,” says Inteior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan. PHOTO: INP
Amid a gruelling vote fraud controversy, the government decided on Sunday to empower the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to deal with allegations of rigging during the May 2013 parliamentary elections.
The offer came a day before the Supreme Court takes up a petition by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan who has alleged
a massive fraud in the elections and called for the verification of thumb impression
of voters in at least three National Assembly constituencies.
“I’ve decided to hand over the administrative control of the National Database Registration Authority (NADRA) and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to the ECP to probe the allegations,” Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan told a news conference after a meeting with the prime minister.
“All relevant records will be handed over to the poll body,” he added. “A formal order would be issued today (Monday) after consultation with ECP Secretary Ishtiaq Ahmed Khan.”
The interior minister will also take all political parties into confidence on the matter and spell out his suggestions before the lawmakers in the National Assembly today (Monday) or tomorrow (Tuesday).
According to the minister, the Ministry of Science and Information Technology will assist NADRA and ECP probe the fraud allegations.
Responding to a question, he said the government has complete trust in the top poll body and called the acting chief election commissioner “the most trusted and respectable man among the top court judges”.
Chaudhry Nisar said the government was also ready to file cases over electoral irregularities in Karachi and other cities if the ECP issued any instructions in this regard. “I’m assigning the verification of thumb impressions to the ECP for the next three months,” he said.
NADRA chief’s sacking
The interior minister promised to reveal ‘shocking evidence’ against NADRA Chairman Tariq Malik who, the minister claimed, had been involved in ‘very serious illegal activities’.
He justified the government’s decision to terminate Malik saying “it was a routine termination”. “The termination of Malik’s contract had nothing to do with the verification of votes.”
The NADRA chief’s attorney said the interior minister should have refrained from touching an issue which was sub judice. “Through his briefing, [Nisar] made a futile attempt to influence the judgment of the Islamabad High Court (IHC),” he said. The IHC has already reserved its verdict in the case.
New security policy
The interior minister said the draft of new national security policy has been finalised and would be presented in the federal cabinet meeting this week. Once approved by the cabinet, the policy will be announced.
Nisar said the new policy was divided into three parts. One of these parts, he said, would remain secret since it deals with sensitive issues. The second ‘strategic’ part will outline whether the government will initiate peace talks with the Taliban or conduct a military operation against them. The third part will deal with ‘day-to-day’ security issues.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 16th, 2013