Judicial commission presents questionnaire to political parties

Responses of questionnaire have to be handed over to judicial commission by Wednesday, April 29

ISLAMABAD: The judicial commission presented a questionnaire to all political parties on Monday to investigate into allegations of rigging and other possible malpractices in the 2013 general elections.

Responses of the questionnaire have to be handed over to the commission by Wednesday, April 29.

The questionnaire asks three questions, and related sub questions, about the 2013 general elections.

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The first question asks if the party alleges that the 2013 general elections were not carried out honestly, impartially, justly and in accordance with the law. If that be the case, the parties must submit supporting material and eye-witness accounts.

The second question inquires if the general elections were manipulated in a "systematic" manner. Those who may have designed and planned it, the design itself, and those who implemented it have to be identified.

Read: Vote fraud probe: Judicial commission issues notices to PML-N, MQM

The questionnaire also inquires whether rigging was carried out for elections of national assembly seats or both national and provincial. A sub question asks whether rigging was limited to a certain province or all four provinces.

Chairing the meeting of the commission, Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk said that the terms and conditions for the judicial commission were very clear but responses of many political parties were not in accordance with the terms of references (ToRs).

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The commission, formed after an Ordinance was issued by President Mamnoon Hussain, was in response to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) demand for a probe into the rigging.