Taking action: QWP committee to review rigging, misconduct

Chairperson says PTI should announce judicial commission to investigate all claims

PESHAWAR: Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) Chairperson Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao directed his party’s officeholders to prepare a district-wise analysis on alleged rigging and misconduct. He accused the government of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) of mismanagement and negligence in local government polls yet again on Monday.

The chairman had echoed similar accusations on Sunday while condemning the violence in Balochistan. In a statement issued from the QWP secretariat, Watan Kor, on Monday, Sherpao said the country witnessed “the worst elections since its creation as the public still does not know which candidates have won and lost”.

Poor security

The QWP chief said security arrangements were insufficient at almost all polling stations across the province. This he said paved the way for mismanagement and irregularities and resulted in scuffles between political parties on the most minor of issues. Deaths could have been prevented if the provincial government had taken the right steps before the election, he added.

With such mismanagement and the lack of polling staff assigned by the ECP, Sherpao said most people—especially women—faced numerous problems while voting. “Unavailability of ballot papers in many stations and misprinting of election symbols by the ECP and the theft of ballot boxes by political workers clearly shows the poor performance of [the stakeholders],” said Sherpao.

Not enough time

Expressing concern over the extension in voting hours at certain polling stations, the QWP chief said, “Changing polling stations on election day and preventing women from voting places a question mark over ‘free and fair elections’.” He questioned if the the provincial government led by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf would announce a judicial commission to erase doubts in the minds of politicians from all parties.

He appointed QWP Information Secretary Tariq Ahmad Khan as the head of the Election Analysis Committee. “Reports of rigging, mismanagement and other irregularities during LG polls have been sought from all districts’ candidates and the party would disclose its stance after thorough consultation with contesting candidates and other office bearers.”

Published in The Express Tribune, June 2^nd, 2015.