The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has finally conceded in its verification report that 259 out of the 325 polling bags of constituency NA-118, Lahore, contained bogus ballots, Express Investigation Cell (EIC) learnt on Wednesday.
According to experts, NADRA had submitted its verification report to the election tribunal on June 9, which spoke of unprecedented rigging in NA-118 in last year’s general elections.
Some officials of the database authority partook in adding bogus votes in the constituency’s polling bags during the last week of May to change the result in Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s favour.
NADRA authorities allegedly switched off CCTV cameras of the office where they were carrying out the illegal activity.
After the incident was reported in the media, NADRA authorities reportedly forced officials responsible for security to give a back-dated written statement that CCTV cameras were out of order much before May 22, revealed officials.
Interior minister Chaudhary Nisar summoned Imtiaz Tajwar to his chamber in parliament last week to seek an explanation from him about why NADRA indulged in such dubious activities, they added.
Moreover, it was revealed that the body’s networks director, Shehzad, and his team who were responsible for CCTV cameras were transferred from the headquarters to Nadra Technologies Limited (NTL) in the third week of June.
In response to an EIC questionnaire, NADRA’s spokesperson Faik Ali denied the accusation that acting NADRA chairman had called the security chief and other officials concerned on June 7 (Saturday, a weekly holiday) to force them to give the desired statement of the cameras being out of order before May 22.
He maintained that NADRA has footage of the election material being handed over to officials in the presence of Justice (Retd) Munir Ahmed Mughal and there was no possibility of any change in the result of the constituency.
Officials claim that NADRA has submitted an ambiguous verification report to the election tribunal to intentionally add more confusion in the case. It confirmed that the database authority received election material of NA-118 consisting 325 polling bags from 251 polling stations of the constituency but still said, in the following paragraph, that NADRA needs the complete election material from the constituency for further verification.
CLARIFICATION: A NADRA spokesperson stated that NADRA did not mention anything about bogus voting in NA-118 in its report submitted in Election Tribunal on 9th June 2014.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 26th, 2014.
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Strange second paragraph:
"According to experts, NADRA had submitted its verification report to the election tribunal on June 9, which spoke of unprecedented rigging in NA-118 in last year’s general elections."
What do you mean by 'according to experts?' You haven't seen the report yourself?
@shazia: May Allah give you courage and long life. You can only wish things take a better turn. The forces of evil sound several fold stronger than that of good in our country. It's definitely not a one persons job. As a matter of fact, its not even in control of poor voters or their armies. There is so much money to be made, simple man just can't hold out long against the storm.
Reading the details i was engrossed with a strange feeling of disappointment as the news item was thrown into public without verification. However, it is strange that the image of a prestigious organization was sabotaged by carefree pen strokes. being a student of Journalism i know that authenticity is the spirit of Journalism and the same has not been taken care of. I hope the only national organization (NADRA) that has earned an international repute of transparency will not be sabotaged. Our country is going through multiple challenges, if we can't reduce them at least we should not add to them by creating trust deficit in between public and government organizations.
Sham Democracy.
Is there any institution in Pakistan which is not corrupt and riddled with inefficient and politically motivated officers. " Shehzad, and his team who were responsible for CCTV cameras were transferred." Instead of transferring him, he along with his cohorts should be prosecuted and sent to jail. Because of flaunting the laws of the country by officials and the ruling class, these kind of shenanigans will go on and the corrupt political leadership will protect them from prosecution. Imaran Khan and Dr.Qadri are getting hoarse by saying that there has been whole sale fraud in the last elections and it seems that Nawaz Sharif's government is not a legitimate government, why are they so afraid to have thumb verification in certain constituencies which are in question by IK. By the way some of the NADRA's corrupt officials has also issued Pakistan identity cards to Afghan refugees and others who are not legible to receive these cards.Thank you ET for bringing this to the attention of the nation.
Why was this new taken off the express main page so quickly? Also why other news channels are not reporting it? Noon league forcing the media?
@Syed Ahmed: I have heard these lines before from leaders' men. What he meant was; PMLn own the law, the police and the Gullu butts. There is no possibility anyone can reverse fate or even touch PMLn!
So, how long you can drag this... Few more months, years.. Still you can't hide truth. Haq sach ho ker rahta hay.. Allah is with honest people...
Dear Media is problem in our country...yellow journalism destroyed the basis of country. Report was something else but how it was portrayed very sad... whom we are serving!
Elections in our country has always been rigged since day one because of toothless ECP & fragile election machineries. This time, the fraud was pinpointed by PTI & protested continuously in streets in the country, that has also been supported by media & electronic print media, therefore, things are changing at present, a very positive sign and appreciative. Further, changing & tampering ballot papers & ballet boxes data by NADRA is extremely shameful, those did it should be prosecuted according to the law and punished accordingly.
@Paindoo:
Is our country bigger than India ? who has introduced electronic voting system to avoid such issues...why can we not also introduce electronic voting system in order to avoid any controversies in future....
Funny how ET published this story, ignited the people into believing there was rigging, and very innocently added 'Clarification'. This is very disappointing,
NADRA has released its clarification. Bogus story created for higher ratings/webpage traffic.
@Waqas: Why would some one else add bogus votes after the election and counting. The are just playing the system. Ad hoc Pemra, Nadra officials and police all working on Nawaz Sharif's whim. This is the experience they claimed to have and this is where all their energy is being served.
@maula Jatt: You are unbelievable!
Election Tribunal had found that there was rigging after recount. It ordered finger print verification and sent bags to NADRA. Officials tried to correct the fixing by trying to stuff votes so numbers could match the announced results.
Good investigation. Well done ET for reporting. However one link missing. On whose order it was done and who won from the seat. Secondly when whole society becomes corrupt it becomes doubtful if any obvious outcome will be visible from this whole exercise aND it is also true that, "ISS HAMMAM MAIN SAB NANGAY HAIN"
@Waqas: To make up the difference between the result annoucned and actual votes counted.
Elections were held on 11 May 2013 and results were announced by 13 May 2013. What does NADRA office's exercise of the last week of May changes?
Er deserve corrupt leaders...
So let me get this straight After the counting was completed and the Result was announced, bogus votes were added in Nadra Office. So how does it change anything?
This is a conspiracy to derail the democracy. Since our country is very large so minor incidents are bound to happen. You can open any constituency and will find rigging there, so we should accept the rigging else some third force will come and derail the democracy (PML-N logic).
@maula Jatt:
tragedy? A car accident, a cancer case or a Nawaz Sharif speech is a tragedy. This was a crime, by the PML-N. They have usurped power in Pakistan!
This is indeed a terrible tragedy, but we have to consider that PML N ministers themselves have taken interest in clearing this matter up. Furthermore, the person who committed this meaning the respective MNA should be punished not the entire government.
No matter what u say about Tahir ul Qadri. How true he was about this fraud democracy. No matter how much u attack him as a person . U can't disagree with his agenda. Tahir ul qadris fight against this fake democracy gets legal right now.
Imran Khan is responsible for this rigging. Why did he get into politics to win people's hearts and remove us from our kingdom?
Anyone who still thinks this govt is legitimate and that it should be allowed to live is clearly out of their mind. On another note, I cant seem to find PMLN supporters anywhere..Hmm :/
If new votes are added later on in these bags, then votes must be stamped few day before the incident. The exact age of the ink (when it was applied) on the votes can be verified by doing 'ink aging' techniques.
How can this guy Faik Ali, spokesperson for NADRA state that there was no possibility of any change in the result of the constituency? Does he have a crystal ball? Or is the Verification Report being sent to Tribunal after the contents of the bags have been fixed in favor of the PMLN candidate?
Question is not about do people know this but what the people are going to do about it right of vote denied means the right to choose the way you want to live denied but than again rights don't come as granted people have to fight for them.
Nothing left to say now. This govt should step down itself, peacefully, else it would be brought down painfully. My salute to IK for raising his voice against the menace of rigging. Only a selfless leader could do this.
NADRA was very professional institution but Sharif bros have destroyed it as well like many other. Shame on PML-N and media as well which is busy in criticizing IK for his stance against massive rigging.
Don't distract us, we are working hard to.... conceal our election rigging
Don't distract us with these accusations, we are working hard to... conceal our election rigging
It is 'The System' and 'Democracy' media anchors want to save, for 1 whole year a fraudulent person keep representing us in assembly and deciding our National issues, but we want to save the system....... Revolution is Answer
I am waiting for PML(N)'s media cell to gloss over this rigging by some sort fictitious milestones they are acheiving in the dreamland
And then they blame Imran Khan for making an issue out of nothing. Any country can't progress if its electoral system is flawed which would keep on allowing fraudsters to rule over us.
PTI i love you for keeping up with your stance and highlighting Electrol Fraud rigging in country.
So Imran Khan is vindicated? One disaster after another! How long can this PML-N government survive?
"A tale of heavy mandate" authored by Iftikhar Chaudhry, published by ECP, 2013.
Now the days of the government are counted.
Of course the boxes were stuffed. So were pockets... with Saudi Riyals. And hearts... with greed. And conscience... well, that was missing.
here you go .... we all know the elections were rigged .
So its clear now current Govt is fraud.