Election probe: 200 people were hired just 48 hours before elections, commission told

Former chief secretary and additional chief secretary Punjab appeared before the commission, recorded statement

ISLAMABAD: The judicial commission formed to probe rigging in the May 2013 general elections was told on Wednesday that 200 people, with know-how of printing, were hired just two days before the general elections 2013.

Punjab’s ex-chief secretary Javed Iqbal and additional chief secretary Rao Iftikhar appeared before the three judge commission headed by Chief Justice Supreme Court Nasirul Mulk on Wednesday to record their statements.

The commission directed the then caretaker chief minister Punjab Najam Sethi to leave the courtroom since he was not scheduled to record his statement. Similarly, when one witness was recording his statement, the other was sent out of the court room.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) counsel Abdul Hafiz Pirzada and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) counsel Shahid Hamid cross examined the witnesses.

Upon being cross examined by the PTI’s counsel, Iqbal stated that the Punjab additional secretary, who was nominated as the liason officer by the provincial election commissioner, had told him on on the day of the election that provincial election commissioner Anwar Mehboob had asked him to hire 200 people who had knowledge of printing process.

While confirming Iqbal’s statement, the then additional chief secretay said that he had asked the commissioners of Lahore and Rawalpindi to comply with the request of Election Commission of Pakistan, which was done on the same day with permission of the then caretaker Punjab chief minister.

During Wednesdays' proceedings, a clip of a television talk show was shown to the court, wherein the additional secretary admitted that 200 people were hired from Urdu Bazar.

However, Iqbal in his statement contented that the request was not unusual as the provincial government was supporting the ECP in holding elections.

Commenting on the retention five secretaries of former provincial government by the caretaker set up, the former chief secretary admitted that five secretaries including Home Secretary Shahid Khan, Finance Secretary Tariq Bajwa, Secretary Education Aslam Kambo and Secretary Health Arif Nadeem had not been transferred.

Justifying the retention of officers from the previous regime, Iqbal said that Home Secretary Shahid Khan was facing threats while Finance Secretary Tariq Bajwa was busy preparing the budget. Secretary education was working on a special education programme. Arif Nadeem was working for prevention of dengue in the province.

When PTI’s counsel asked whether he had received any recommendation regarding retention of these officers from outside, the former chief secretary said that Sethi had mentioned that the country director of DFID had requested that secretary education be retained.

The former secretary stated that he was not aware whether any extra-material was printed or not. Commenting on the transportation of election related material Iqbal said it was transported by the Army and Punjab Government in different constituencies.

When asked by the PTI counsel, the former chief secretary revealed that ballot papers were supplied to different constituencies of Kotli Sattian, Kasur, Gujrat and Hafizabad on the polling day. Admitting that under the law, ballot papers need to supplied three days before the day of the election, Iqbal said they had lodged a protest with the ECP regarding the delay in the supply of ballot papers.

Responding to a question by the PTI’s counsel, Iqbal said he was not aware who had selected the constituencies where ballot papers were supplied since it was a matter between ECP and Returning Officers (ROs).

While being cross examined by the PML-N’s counsel Shahid Hamid, the former chief secretary stated that he was inducted as chief secretary during the tenure of caretaker government in Punjab, having mostly served in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh.

He also admitted that secretary higher education was transferred but secretary elementary school was not changed.

Former additional chief secretary Rao Iftikhar, who was the focal person to assist ECP in the election process, said that he took charge on April 8, 2013 and left his office on May 27, 2013. On his request he was transferred to federal government.

Apprising the commission about his functions as additional chief, Iftikhar said that the procedure was laid down for providing support.

The commission’s proceedings were adjourned till 11:30am on Thursday when Punjab Provincial Election Commissioner Anwar Mehboob’s statement is expected to be recorded and cross-examined.