Election vote verification should not become 'political football': Nisar

"Let us stop making hollow speeches" interior minister pleads in remarks directed at PTI.

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan stated that the thumb impression verification of the votes cast in the May 11 general elections should not be turned into a "political football", Express News reported on Wednesday.

He was speaking during a National Assembly session in Islamabad.

“This issue has been made into an unnecessary problem by a political party,” the interior minister added, referring to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

“Let us stop making hollow speeches. Let us put our money where our mouth is,” the interior minister remarked.

PTI Chairman Imran Khan had filed a petition at the Supreme Court seeking ‘verification of thumb impressions’ in NA-110, NA-122, NA-125 and NA 154.

He had alleged massive fraud in the elections and called for the verification of voters’ thumb impressions with the help of the National Database Registration Authority (NADRA).

On December 14, Imran had said that PTI would take a decision of whether to demand early elections after verification of votes in the four constituencies.

Nisar further stated that the government is not opposing the verification of the thumb impressions, further adding that NADRA is a subordinate of the Interior Ministry.

He also said that Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the election tribunals, however, are not controlled by the government.

Nisar added that “we are ready to work with the opposition regarding the vote verification and everyone should go to the courts together.”

“We are ready for a committee, headed by a judge, to be set up for verification of the votes,” he further said

The interior minister also stated that there is a difference between fake and unverifiable votes. “According to my record about 60 to 70% of the votes in each constituency might be unverifiable.”

He also revealed that the magnetic ink had cost a total cost 160 million according to his records but it was reported in newspapers that two billion was the cost.

The minister also questioned why magnetic was not available at the polling stations during local bodies elections if it was so important.

The Opposition boycotted the National Assembly session as a response to Nisar's speech. Opposition leader and Pakistan People's Party (PPP) spokesperson Khursheed Shah asked Nisar to take back what he had said.

Background

On December 16, Nisar had stated that government has given administrative control over the process of thumb impression verification to ECP. Nisar had also clarified that NADRA systems have not been transferred to ECP, rather, the commission has only been given administrative control for three months over the specific process in thumb impression verification.

He was responding to the point raised by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi and supported by PPP's Naveed Qamar and Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed.

Nisar had said that the move is intended to satisfy the opposition and it is subject to consensus of the ECP. The minister had said the process of thumb verification should not be confined to only four constituencies.

The interior minister had said that the Opposition should appreciate the intention of the government as it is transferring its powers just to satisfy them.

Nisar had added that government would welcome evolution of a transparent mechanism for holding of local bodies elections and Punjab government is ready to replicate the bio-metric voting system if it is developed by the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government.

The minister had also offered government’s support to the Opposition if it introduces a bill that ensures holding of fair and transparent elections and strengthening the ECP.