Rigging allegations: Nisar offers to address concerns

“We are ready to follow you and replicate [the biometric system] in Punjab,” says Nisar.

ISLAMABAD:

During Monday’s National Assembly session, the government put the opposition, particularly the PTI, on the back foot with an offer to resolve the issue of verification of voters’ thumb impressions. “I want to satisfy you (the PTI) and I am ready to do [what is needed],” he said and offered the PTI to introduce a bill to ensure free and fair elections in the country. 

When PTI Chairman Imran Khan said his party would not hold local government elections in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa unless it introduces a biometric system, the interior minister said, “We are ready to follow you and replicate [the biometric system] in Punjab.”

Nisar said the government had decided to entrust the responsibility of thumbprint verification to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), subject to their assent, to satisfy the opposition. He reiterated that it was wrong to link the sacking of NADRA Chairman Tariq Malik with the thumbprint verification row. He promised to share with lawmakers details of Malik’s removal.

Earlier, PTI lawmaker Shah Mehmood Qureshi gave a charged speech, claiming that the government was planning to hand over the administrative control of NADRA to the ECP in violation of the Constitution.

Qureshi argued the ECP should not accept the government’s offer and this perhaps was being done to put the issue of thumb impression verification on the backburner.

In response, Nisar said, “You can call for mid-term elections if you want”.

After Qureshi had left the house, Imran clarified that his party has never demanded mid-term elections but rather wanted the PML-N government to complete its tenure.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 17^th, 2013.