Pakistan

Poll inquiry commission summons ROs over 'systematic rigging’ charge

PML-Q counsel Dr Khalid Ranjha produced seven private witnesses before the commission on Tuesday

Hasnaat Malik June 09, 2015

Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk. PHOTO: APP

ISLAMABAD: The inquiry commission has summoned seven returning officers (ROs) over their alleged involvement in ‘systematic rigging’ in the 2013 general elections.

The three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk on Tuesday observed that allegations of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid’s (PML-Q) candidates against ROs ‘necessitate’ that they should be summoned for cross examination.

The commission has, therefore, asked its secretary to inform the ROs concerned through the Lahore High Court’s registrar regarding their appearance on Wednesday.

During the hearing on Tuesday, PML-Q’s counsel Dr Khalid Ranjha produced seven private witnesses before the commission to establish ROs did not issue mandatory notices to the contesting candidates under Section 39 of the Representatives of People’s Act 1976, and that they conducted the consolidation proceedings in the absence of candidates and their election agents.

These seven witnesses, who were PML-Q candidates who lost the elections, claimed before the commission that ROs rigged the polls.

Read: Rigging by ROs: Inquiry commission asks PML-Q to present evidence of rigging

After examination of the candidates, the commission summoned seven judicial officers, who performed their duties as ROs during the 2013 general elections.

The ROs include Qamar Ijaz, Imtiaz Hussain, Muhammad Qasim, Arshad Hussain, Amir Habib and Ijaz Hussain Awan.

The PML-Q last week had requested the commission to summon ROs, who conducted the election in different constituencies of Punjab.

COMMENTS (24)

H Chaudhry | 8 years ago | Reply BTW the highest number of Form 15s that are missing are from Shah M Q seat followed by most PTI won seats in KPK. Hmmmm, definately looking like an organized conspiracy to get Im the Dim defeated in 2013, LoL.

Ranjha | 8 years ago | Reply @H Chaudhry: Mr. Thurgood Marshal, tell me what do you have top say about the missing form 15s? Is that "he said, she said", master of jurisprudence? Which "precedence" will this go against, Abraham Lincoln? Eggheads like you have such low intellect and even lower moral standards that it hurts to think that I share the country with people like you. Complete self important losers!

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H Chaudhry | 8 years ago | Reply @Waseem Sarwar Yes you are correct, By elections are not a parameter of true performance! If in 2018 General elections PMLN is wiped out, so be it and it will be because they did not perform but calling for govt to go before its 5 year is not solution and any election before 5 year term will not result in WIPE out and thats where by elections tell story as of today and today, PMLN is still the largest party, still has very strong roots in most of the punjab and hazara and still will win over 100 seats. If you really want to get rid of PMLN, let people be the judge of their performance in 2018. PMLN is no PMLQ in my opinion, they do have track record of better performance vs. others, and unless some one like Imran brings a better model and success or every one including PTI + PPP + Q league get together, the chances of defeating PMLN are slim to none. Agree or not, 2018 is only 3 years away, clock is ticking, every one better get to work.

H Chaudhry | 8 years ago | Reply @Ranjha There is nothing in your comments, no one need to $hut up but the clown that has been slapped hard by people in recent elections on his agitation he started about an year ago. Whether you like it or not, NOTHING is changing other than the fact that electroal process needs revamp. Some of us who are taught and understand common law can very easily see where the proceedings of this case are going, NOWHERE! It is heresay case. He said She said, there is already precedence from 1985 of printing extra ballots. In any case you are free to wish whatever you want, I guaranttee you that you are NOT getting what you want from this comission because there is no LEGAL basis. By the way, what happened to 35 Punctures?

Waseem Sarwar | 8 years ago | Reply @H Chaudhry: I remember PMLQ won every by election from 2002 to 2008 election and what happened to them in general election 2008? :p By elections are never a parameter to judge government's popularity or voting trends. :)

Ranjha | 8 years ago | Reply @H Chaudhry: Read my comment again and then shut up until the decision is announced. It is that simple, Einstein!

Shakil | 8 years ago | Reply I am sorry but these ROs are part of justice system! will the CJ pass any judgement against its very own judges? If passed theses ROs who were promoted post elections as reward by ex CJ will have to lose their jobs and face criminal charges. This will put a good part of judiciary in to tail spin. So its highly unlikely CJ will do that. We know its systematic, PMLN is trying to make it wasnt systematic rigging but was normal rigging :) Thats a fair elections with rigging! accept that and future will be no different.

raider | 8 years ago | Reply i would like to make imran understand one thing which still proving factual, imran khan will have to get wealth either by hooks or by crooks, imran khan will have to loose strings of their parliamentarians to corruption, imran will have to sale important positions and give free hand to his MNAs and MPAs at local level for thanaculture and will have to sale out jobs among their supporters, imran will have to understand existential circumstances and mindset of peoples especially at village level, once imran will do this he will get wealthy and influential even among bureaucracy and among masses, imran plz fellow politicians like nawaz sharif sb, benzi buhtoo and asif ali zardari you will never be failed, you are getting only educated and sincere votes which are less and will be always, switch on new politics, new era, you will never fail on any front. this is actually the change you are missing out.

raider | 8 years ago | Reply @H Chaudhry: it is expected to be last tenure of pmln, it looks so juicy that pmln still fetching votes by their supporters like you, but incumbent govt has failed on all fronts, including economic reforms, police reforms, tax reforms, judicial reforms, education reforms, health reforms even law and order ever worsen and single megawatt of power could not be produced, if produced it proved transitory just for the sake of publicity and still govt don't possess suggestions in pipeline to reform all these systems, when lastly pppp was reigning Federal govt that getting huge margins against opponents even in Punjab in by elections but they were cornered by peoples in general election, memories of peoples are short-lived they don't always see metros in two cities in 7 years, they never elect two govt in succession,

H Chaudhry | 8 years ago | Reply @Ranjha My friend than you are in for a ride! The clown laughing since Aug 14 last year seems to have his days numbered. Hammered in 3 straight by polls, sweeped in Gilgit, No question, not 1 nothing on 35 punctures, so yes the one who laugh last, laughs the best and Mian Sahab has been quite serious in all this but perhaps its his time to laugh.

khalid | 8 years ago | Reply This is all an eye wash, our esteemed judges will in the end give a judgement which is all planned and will be in favor of those who will have made arrangement before, it will be molded and twisted, it would appear to be fair but it wont be, it will not be based on honesty, integrity and what is good for the country and its people, it will benefit few corrupt and dishonest group which has been destroying this country, long live our judiciary..

Ch. Allah Daad | 8 years ago | Reply This commission is wasting time and money of entire nation. Recent voting pattern has confirmed that if there was any rigging it was in favour of Imran Khan. He should stop lying now and start planning for 2018 elections.

Ranjha | 8 years ago | Reply @Adnan Siddiqi: You seem to be full of it. Wait til the decision is made. As Chairman Mao said, the one who laughs the last, laughs the best!

H Chaudhry | 8 years ago | Reply Exactly Adnan Siddiqui! Its time to move on from these childish banters and resolve the issue. Yes, electoral system in Pakistan is not perfect, so what can all the politicians including PTI do to fix it. That should be the main topic and not conspiracy theories of Oh Nawaz Speeched turned the tide and RO's election and Sethi/Ramday/Chaudhry/Kyani made me lose election. Not even a single question on 35 Punctures, really? How long this circus will go.

Adnan Siddiqi | 8 years ago | Reply Knucklehead cult worshipers are unnecessarily taking the credit here! Niazi chickened out of calling the ROs in the docket. It was PML-Q's Khalid Ranjha who duped Hafeez Pirzada into believing that calling the ROs wouldn't serve any purpose, now even PML-Q has turned out to be a lot smarter than these dimwits of CHANGE. Any how, calling these ROs on the stand amounts to didly. Its a classic example of my word against his and the affected candidates don't have any proof of ROs misconduct and malpractice.

H Chaudhry | 8 years ago | Reply @Israr No Development package is NOT RIGGING. Every where in elections, people make promises and thats how things work. If you like the opponents to do no campaign say nothing or even perhaps dont even run, may be it will make you happy but in real life sorry things dont work like that. Govt Development Package was an excellent move and the timely move. There is No if than but about it and it has also nothing to do with South Punjab. Developing one place vs. other is not rigging. @Waseem No one is against biometric, certainly not PMLN. Its ECP that should develop a framework and its all parties that should develop strategy in parliament. Instead of dancing around the real topic that is reforms of election commission, PTI is still trying to make up stories. PTI lost their deposit on 95 seats! They have lost almost every seat in by elections. Stop disrespecting others vote. Its time to move forward and realize that this Govt is NOT GOING ANYWHERE, next elections will be in 2018 so lets reform the process TOGETHER.

Waseem Sarwar | 8 years ago | Reply @H Chaudhry: lol. No wonder PMLN hates to even think about using biometric devices under army's watch for election. When you have rules a province for 20 years, there are definitely some "mistakes" bound to happen for them. :)

Sohail | 8 years ago | Reply Many favoring Imran khan's stance seem to be disappointed.

Israr | 8 years ago | Reply @H Chaudhry: So do you really think GB development package was not rigging? Ask people in South Punjab how much of the promised 46 billion the naive people of Gilgit-Baltistan will get, if any.

H Chaudhry | 8 years ago | Reply So this will pass as well, some RO's will say we did as we were trained, others say we did not do any thing wrong, and others will say we followed the instructions. JC findings will be what we all know, there are issues with ECP, fix them but nothing beyond it, no Organized Rigging, no Organized Plots, etc etc. 2018 Elections will be better ones, PMLN will win again and Imran will cry again like he is now after GB loss calling development package as rigging.

Parvez | 8 years ago | Reply Everyone knows the 2013 election's were rigged ' big time ' ............ but saying it out aloud and then doing something about it is not for the faint hearted and brave and upright strong men are very very hard to come by., so I am not at all optimistic about the outcome.

Abid Shah Mashwani | 8 years ago | Reply At the end this whole exercise may not provide justice in the form of free and fair election to Pakistani people, but this will definitely accomplish two things: 1) ECP will think more than once before siding and serving a political party or politician, 2) Political parties will think hard and may think of doing more developmental work to win election than buying ROs. Thank you Imran Khan

Shakil | 8 years ago | Reply It looks like PML-Q is fighting their cases better than PTI!

Usman | 8 years ago | Reply Like Imran Khan said, I bet these ROs had no idea they would ever be questioned on their conduct once they had helped PML-N with the win. Now, it's time to face the music.

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