Rigging probe to conclude proceedings next week, says CJP

Legal experts skeptical about inquiry panel's ability to conclude its proceedings by next week’s end

ISLAMABAD:

_{The inquiry commission probing allegations of rigging in the May 2013 elections will conclude its proceedings by the end of next week, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Nasirul Mulk said on Wednesday.}

“As the full court will not be re-assembled to hear the 18th and 21st constitutional amendments case next week, the inquiry commission will start its hearing at 11:30am on Monday and conclude proceedings by the end of that week,” the CJP observed while heading the proceedings of the three-judge commission. He directed the counsels of all political parties to be present in Monday’s hearing.



Legal experts, on the other hand, were skeptical about whether the commission would be able to conclude its proceedings by next week’s end.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Ishaq Khan Khakwani – the chairman of the party’s task force collecting evidence of rigging – said that although most of the commission’s work had been done, it would receive the record of Form 15 on Monday.

“The record of Form 15 will be the most significant as it contains details regarding the use of ballot papers in every national and provincial assembly constituency,” Khakwani said. He added that the attorneys of various parties will begin their arguments once the commission has thoroughly examined the record of the forms from all constituencies, which amount to around 140,000.

PTI has already finished cross-examining its witnesses but the party’s counsel, Abdul Hafiz Pirzada, said chairman Imran Khan may also appear before the commission for examination.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), meanwhile, has requested the commission to summon Additional Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Secretary Sher Afgan for cross-examination.

Six ECP witnesses were cross-examined by the counsels of different parties on Wednesday. The inquiry commission, however, scrapped the testimony of Pakistan Security Printing Corporation General Manager Naved Ahmad due to doubt over the authenticity of the document he was relying on with regards to the demand of extra ballots in NA-154.

Earlier during the hearing, PTI’s counsel Pirzada termed PML-Q lawyer Dr Khalid Ranjha’s plea to summon returning officers (ROs) a ‘little complicated’.

Ranjha, who was not present during the hearing, had requested the commission to summon ROs who conducted elections in several constituencies – including NA-61, NA- 67, NA-104, NA-134, NA-140, NA-142, NA-164 and NA-186 – to ask them why they did not issue mandatory notices to contesting candidates under section 39 of the Representation of People Act 1976 and why they conducted consolidation proceedings in the absence of candidates and their election agents. The PML-Q lawyer had also asked whether the ROs did this out of their own negligence or whether they were instructed, influenced or pressured into doing so.

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