Rigging evidence: PTI chalks out new strategy

Party wants desired statements from witnesses in rigging polls

ISLAMABAD:

As the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) faces difficulties in finding evidence of systematic rigging in 2013 elections, the Imran Khan-led party has started working on a two-pronged strategy: to extract desired statements from its witnesses or establish their own role in rigging the polls.

The PTI is mainly relying on official records, election commission and Nadra’s response, statements of different politicians, and reports from non-profit organisations and media to establish its case before the three-member judicial commission inquiring allegations of electoral fraud during the previous general elections.

The party has presented the names of 14 witnesses to prove its rigging claims. The commission headed by Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk will begin recording their statements on May 6. Three more important people – former chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, former chief election commissioner Fakhruddin G Ebrahim and former Nadra chairman Tariq Malik – are also in the PTI’s wish-list who may be called anytime during the proceedings.

The party leaders believe they have credible evidence how Nadra’s report was tampered with after the ouster of Malik and the word “fake” was replaced with “unverified”. The current Nadra chairman, who is believed to be a close friend of National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq’s son from school days, will also be made a party.

PTI leader Ishaq Khakwani also confirmed that neither the list submitted before the commission by the party nor the questionnaire given by the commission was final to prove rigging.

In a recent chat with media persons, PTI chief Imran Khan claimed the party had a video of Punjab’s former caretaker chief minister admitting that officials were not obeying his orders.

Insiders in the PTI told The Express Tribune the party was reluctant to summon former chief election commissioner Ibrahim and former Nadra chairman Malik, who would be contacted with Pakistan Peoples Party’s assistance. In case he is ready to record a favourable statement, then the commission will be requested to arrange a video link with Malik, who now lives in the US, they added.

The sources claimed the party had dropped the idea to rely on former election commission official Afzal Khan for favourable statements.

PTI leader Khakwani said the party had identified Ebrahim and Malik as the key witnesses. The PTI leaders believe that a few instances indicate many aspects of rigging: former chief justice’s “pressure tactics” against the caretaker setup; appointment of Ebrahim as the chief election commissioner despite his alleged involvement in a case related to Pakistan Steel Mills; and the appointment of political parties’ favourites as provincial chief election commissioners.

As a backup plan, in case these officials do not cooperate with the PTI, Khakwani and Jahangir Tareen have been tasked to collect evidence showing a nexus between Ebrahim and Justice Chaudhry, the sources said.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 4^th, 2015.