Judicial commission: After PTI, PML-N identifies constituencies with extra ballots

Ex-Punjab Chief Election Commissioner says printing, delivery of ballots delayed due to court's restraining orders

ISLAMABAD: Two days after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had pointed out the constituencies of key leaders of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) where ballot papers were printed more than the total number of registered voters, the counsel for PML-N also identified before the judicial commission the constituencies wherein PTI leaders were declared winners.

PML-N counsel Shahid Hamid pointed out that the then Punjab election commissioner (PEC) Mahboob Anwar in his statement had admitted to printing extra ballot papers in different constituencies of Punjab. The constituencies were identified using documents provided by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Presenting his argument before the three-judge judicial commission, headed by Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk, PML-N's counsel claimed that in NA-53, where PTI’s candidate Ghulam Sarwar had won, 454,000 ballot papers were printed, 18 per cent more than registered number of voters in the constituency.

Upon this PTI counsel Abdul Hafeez Pirzada asked whether the PML-N counsel was aware that the incumbent Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan was Sarwar’s opponent. Hamid replied that he was not aware of that fact.

Hamid continued, pointing out that in NA-150, a total 400,000 ballot papers were printed against 373,000 registered voters. PTI vice chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi was declared the returned candidate from this constituency during 2013 general elections.

The counsel further claimed that in NA-48 Islamabad, where PTI leader Asad Umar had won the by-polls, approximately 320,000 ballot papers were printed by the election authority, 26,000 more than the registered votes in the constituency.

Referring to NA-72 Mianwali, Hamid contended that 402,100 ballots were printed against the 371,374 voters in the constituency. In NA-34, wherein Jamat-e-Islami candidate Sahabzada Yaqoob won, 588,000 ballot papers were printed against the 504,000 voters in the constituency.

Earlier, the counsel had also pointed out that in NA-122 Lahore, there were 326,028 registered voters against whom only 326,200 ballot papers were printed.

“Are you aware that the winning candidate from this constituency (NA-122) is incumbent Speaker National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq”, the PML-N’s counsel asked.

Meanwhile, ex-PEC Punjab Anwar confirmed that deliveries of ballot papers were delayed in some constituencies due to restraining orders from the court. He also stated that the requisition of ballot papers by District Returning Officers (DROs) Returning Officers (ROs) came only after April 19.

During his cross-examination, Anwar admitted that the ECP had asked the printing presses to print ballot papers prior to the requisition of ROs, therefore, the final requisition of printing ballot papers were different from the estimate provided was done before.

While contending that everything regarding the printing and delivery of ballot papers was done according to the plan, Anwar admitted that some mistakes were committed in this process.

Further, during the cross-examination, the chief justice was forced to stop the PML-N’s counsel from asking questions based on assumptions. “Don’t make the point, ask the questions”, the CJ told him.

For Friday, the judicial commission has summoned three witnesses including the Managing Directors of Printing Corporation of Pakistan Islamabad and Lahore, and the manager of Printing Postal Foundation.