2013 general polls: ECP didn’t get unofficial results before midnight
PTI says Nawaz victory speech made at 11:30pm, affected results
PHOTO: AFP
ISLAMABAD:
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) admitted before the inquiry commission on Monday that it had not received the unofficial results of any national or provincial constituency before the alleged victory speech of Nawaz Sharif on May 11, 2013.
DG Elections Sher Afgan said the ECP had received the first unofficial results after midnight and they were of Lower Dir.
This proves that Nawaz’s speech had affected the results of the 2013 general elections, Ishaq Khan Khakwani, chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) taskforce, told The Express Tribune. “Nawaz Sharif had made his victory speech at 11:30pm.”
Similarly, during the hearing, the District Election Commissioner (DEC), Lahore Shahbar Abbas Bukhari, who was in the same post during the general elections, also admitted that the printing of ballot papers for NA-125 was different from the normal routine.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Saad Rafiq won the election in NA-125 Lahore.
Earlier, the PTI counsel Abdul Hafiz Pirzada informed the tribunal that on Tuesday (today) he would inform whether to produce Imran Khan as a witness or not, as so far they are waiting for Form-15, which the ECP had not submitted despite the commission direction to file the Form-15 of all the constituencies on June 8.
Salman Akram Raja, representing the ECP, informed the tribunal that most of Form-15 had been obtained, while the rest of them would be procured by the evening.
However, the sources revealed to The Express Tribune that the commission had sent a questionnaire to the district courts judges regarding the opening of polling bags as well as Form-15.
They also said the reports received regarding Form-15 were a little shocking, wherein different irregularities have been pointed out by the district court judges
Similarly, Sher Afgan said security bonds in 55 National Assembly constituencies were forfeited in the last elections as it failed to procure one-fourth of the total votes polled in those constituencies.
He informed the commission that in August 2014 they have prepared review report about the 2013 elections and placed it on the ECP website, but did not receive any response from any political party.
Some 172 million ballot papers were printed, while 86 million voters cast their ballots in the elections, he said, adding that the ECP never reviewed the requirement of printing of ballot papers as the Provincial Election Commissioners had decided about the ballot papers.
The proceedings were adjourned till Tuesday (today).
Published in The Express Tribune, June 9th, 2015.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) admitted before the inquiry commission on Monday that it had not received the unofficial results of any national or provincial constituency before the alleged victory speech of Nawaz Sharif on May 11, 2013.
DG Elections Sher Afgan said the ECP had received the first unofficial results after midnight and they were of Lower Dir.
This proves that Nawaz’s speech had affected the results of the 2013 general elections, Ishaq Khan Khakwani, chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) taskforce, told The Express Tribune. “Nawaz Sharif had made his victory speech at 11:30pm.”
Similarly, during the hearing, the District Election Commissioner (DEC), Lahore Shahbar Abbas Bukhari, who was in the same post during the general elections, also admitted that the printing of ballot papers for NA-125 was different from the normal routine.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Saad Rafiq won the election in NA-125 Lahore.
Earlier, the PTI counsel Abdul Hafiz Pirzada informed the tribunal that on Tuesday (today) he would inform whether to produce Imran Khan as a witness or not, as so far they are waiting for Form-15, which the ECP had not submitted despite the commission direction to file the Form-15 of all the constituencies on June 8.
Salman Akram Raja, representing the ECP, informed the tribunal that most of Form-15 had been obtained, while the rest of them would be procured by the evening.
However, the sources revealed to The Express Tribune that the commission had sent a questionnaire to the district courts judges regarding the opening of polling bags as well as Form-15.
They also said the reports received regarding Form-15 were a little shocking, wherein different irregularities have been pointed out by the district court judges
Similarly, Sher Afgan said security bonds in 55 National Assembly constituencies were forfeited in the last elections as it failed to procure one-fourth of the total votes polled in those constituencies.
He informed the commission that in August 2014 they have prepared review report about the 2013 elections and placed it on the ECP website, but did not receive any response from any political party.
Some 172 million ballot papers were printed, while 86 million voters cast their ballots in the elections, he said, adding that the ECP never reviewed the requirement of printing of ballot papers as the Provincial Election Commissioners had decided about the ballot papers.
The proceedings were adjourned till Tuesday (today).
Published in The Express Tribune, June 9th, 2015.