No cheating: JUI-F demands free and fair Senate by-polls

Claims there were irregularities in 2015 elections for Upper House

PESHAWAR: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl asked the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to ensure free and fair by-polls for a vacant Senate seat from the province.

Elections for an Upper House seat, which fell vacant last month after the death of Awami National Party Senator Azam Khan Hoti, are scheduled for Wednesday (today).  At the moment, the ruling coalition has the upper hand as far as votes are concerned.



A letter signed by Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Opposition Leader and JUI-F candidate for the seat Maulana Lutfur Rehman, Haji Ghulam Ali and party spokesperson Jalil Jan claimed irregularities occurred in the March 2015 Senate elections. Addressed to the Chief Election Commissioner, the letter said 60% of the ballot papers were illegally taken outside the polling station and stamped in the K-P Assembly lobby, offices and other rooms. It read the irregularity could not be controlled despite the fact that a hue and cry had been created on the house premises.

The party requested that the ECP Peshawar office and other relevant authorities should be instructed to strictly check wrongdoings and ensure ballot papers are used only inside the allotted booths.

In full sight

“This time, we expect impartial and fair Senate by-elections on May 13,” it read.

The letter asked the CEC to place the rostrum or booth in such a place where the secrecy of stamping is maintained. However, it added the booth itself must be visible to polling staff to ensure nobody takes ballot papers outside.

The document also requested the CEC to lock all other rooms in the assembly apart from the main hall which has been declared a polling station. The letter claimed JUI-F received credible information that there may be rigging during the polls.

Voting for the Senate seat will take place at the K-P Assembly building and this time the legislature passed a resolution allowing the assembly hall to be used as a polling station.

According to the ECP, polling would start at 9am and continue till 4pm. K-P PTI President Azam Swati and JUI-F’s Haji Ghulam Ali are in the running for the seat. To win the berth, the required number of votes is 63 and the ruling coalition has 71 seats, while the opposition strength is 52.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 13^th, 2015.