Rigging probe: Commission turns down MQM plea to re-summon witnesses

Says every political party was offered the opportunity to cross examine the witnesses on June 10.

ISLAMABAD: The inquiry commission probing allegations of widespread rigging in the May 2013 elections refused on Saturday to entertain Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) plea to summon once again the witnesses of the Jamaat-e-Islami and Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi (MQM-H) for cross examination.

An application was moved in the secretariat of the inquiry commission by MQM Senator Mian Atiq Mir. The application said the MQM vehemently denied all adverse allegations leveled against it by witnesses who appeared on behalf of the JI and MQM-H. The MQM requested the commission to re-summon the witnesses so that the MQM might cross examine them.

However, the commission rejected the MQM’s plea, saying that it could not re-summon any witness for cross examination. On June 10, every political party was offered the opportunity to cross examine the witnesses but no one appeared on behalf of the MQM, it said.

The commission on June 10 recorded statements of the JI witnesses – the party’s Karachi chapter chief Mohammad Hussain Mehanti and Naib Amir Khawaja Haris Sultan. Both the witnesses had accused the MQM of rigging the polls by capturing the polling stations.

MQM-H’s Aftab Hassan, who was cross-examined by Advocate Hashmat Habib, alleged that their workers were killed and the party chief Afaq Ahmed was not allowed to freely run the election campaign.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 15^th, 2015.