NA-122: Returning officer submits record of 281 polling stations

LAHORE:

The returning officer (RO) on Saturday submitted the record of 281 out of 284 NA-122 polling stations to the election tribunal.

The RO also submitted copies of Forms 14 and 15 and packing invoices of the 281 polling stations. The forms and packing invoices of polling stations 57, 143 and 150 are missing.

Earlier, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI)’s counsel, Anees Ali Hashim, had submitted an application, requesting that forms be made part of record. He had said that the record submitted by the RO and the items recovered from the polling bags did not match. “Forms 15 for 59 polling stations and Forms 14 for 69 polling stations are missing,” he had said.

Asjad Saeed, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq’s counsel, said after the submission of record, the PTI had no moral ground left to continue its argument.

“If the PTI still contends the record does not match, it should bring substantial evidence rather than just make claims,” he said.

The judge adjourned the proceedings till January 19.

A local commission had earlier submitted its audit report. It had reported 519 discrepancies in the record, including 23,639 unsigned and unstamped counterfoils. It had declared 3,642 votes invalid.

The commission said that 275 counterfoils of votes cast in favour of Imran Khan were without thumb impressions and 232 counterfoils of votes cast in favour of Ayaz Sadiq were without thumb impressions.

It further stated 2,693 votes were without the stamps of the polling staff and 750 votes were found without the stamps of the presiding officers. The report stated that 180,115 votes were polled in the constituency, out of which 92,393 were in favour of Ayaz Sadiq and 83,542 were in Imran Khan’s favour. It said that counterfoils of 23,639 votes were unsigned and unstamped.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 18^th, 2015.