ECP to take action against those who polled multiple votes: Sher Afgan

ECP sought data of voters who had polled more than one votes.

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday announced its decision to take action against those accused of polling multiple votes during last year’s general elections.

For the first time in the electoral history of Pakistan, ECP said that it has sought data of such voters who had polled more than one votes.

ECP had set up a total of 14 tribunals, comprising of retired judges of the High Courts, to hear complaints of anomalies during polls. The tribunals had sent around three dozen cases to National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) to verify the authenticity of voters using its Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS).

During the investigation it was discovered that in many constituencies some voters had polled multiple times.

ECP had been heavily criticised by political parties and media for not taking action against those who had been proven of casting multiple votes.

ECP in its meeting on Monday decided that it will take action against such people on the basis of NADRA reports, DG Elections Sher Afghan told reporters on Monday.

Though action, if taken, would remain limited to very few people since the commission would rely on reports it will receive from tribunals.

Afgan hoped that the action would serve as deterrence in the future.

Of the few constituencies, NADRA analysed, it detected that in some cases a single voter polled his vote dozens of time.

“The commission will determine if that comes under impersonation which in itself comes under corrupt practices”, Afgan said.

Duplicate votes

There were a number of people, both men and women, who had cast multiple votes in different constituencies.

During the forensic analysis of NA-256, where Mutahidda Quami Movement’s (MQM) Iqbal Muhammad Khan had won by bagging 151,788 votes, a number of votes were found to have been polled by the same person.

Voter Waseem Anwar Hussain was discovered to have polled a total of 35 votes at polling station 34.

Another voter, Shakir Zaheer, had cast seven votes at polling station 168 in the same constituency. Muhammad Faizanuddin was found to have cast eight votes.

The trend was not limited to Karachi or to a particular party. In NA-202-Shikarpur, where Muhammad Ibrahim Jatoi of Pakistan Peoples Party had won by securing 54,890 votes. In his constituency, a woman, Hajra wife of Ghulam Nabi, was found to have cast four votes.

In PS-114, Muhammad Arif Saller was found to have cast 44 votes at the polling station 54. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Irfanullah Khan Marwat had won the election in that constituency.

In another national assembly constituency, NA-258, where PML-N’s Hakeem Khan Baloch had won the elections, Muhammad Sohaim was found to have polled eight votes at polling station 229.

Disproportionate Punishment

Under Representation of Peoples Act, 1976, any one found involved in corrupt practices during the polls can face up to three year’s of imprisonment or a fine of Rs5,000 or both.

However, the prescribed punitive measures are so out dated that there is no proportion to severity for violators. The law mandates a punishment of three-years imprisonment and or fine of Rs5,000 for violators. Many happily opt to pay off Rs5,000 and get off the hook.

Though ECP has announced to take action against those who polled multiple votes, it has not touched the issue of corrupt polling staff in whose presence the shameful practice happened. The presiding officer who is incharge of a polling station, under the law, has powers of magistrate first class can award punishments through summary trails.