PPP counting on PTI’s evidence to prove rigging

ISLAMABAD: As the commission investigating the allegations of systematic rigging in the 2013 general elections begins the process of recording testimonies of witnesses produced by the PTI, the Peoples Party has decided to rely on the evidence produced by the former before the commission.

During a closed door meeting, held to review the modalities of how to proceed with the inquiry on April 29 between the three-man judicial commission — headed by Chief Justice Nasir-ul-Mulk — and the counsel representing different political parties, Aitzaz Ahsan said on behalf of the PPP that his party would not file any additional documents or furnish a list of witnesses. Rather, PPP would rely upon the evidence entered by the PTI.

On the other hand, the PTI in its response to a questionnaire distributed by the commission among political parties — seeking specific answers to allegations of rigging — had taken a stand that the onus to prove the allegations cannot be placed entirely on any political party. The PTI also argued that the entire election record that could establish instances of rigging was in the control of the ruling PML-N and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

In the meeting, the judicial commission had also decided that political parties would examine their own witnesses under oath to bring on record appropriate documents and may provide a list of witnesses that they wished the commission to summon, along with a brief statement elucidating the purpose for which their witnesses are to be examined.

The PTI is expected to provide a list of witnesses that they wish the commission to examine by Saturday (May 2). However, the PTI will produce its own witnesses at 11:30am on May 5.

During the April 29 meeting, Aitzaz Ahsan had also asked the commission to order the reopening of bags containing election material. The commission, however, had asked Barrister Ahsan to submit a fresh list of constituencies so that notices were issued to returned candidates from the constituencies whose results the PPP was questioning.

In its initial report before the commission, PPP had said that it would establish that the elections were not impartial, fair, honest and just and rather manipulated and influenced on an overall basis.

PPP had also requested the commission to consider what it called, “the first cogent and proper analysis based on the official documents that were secured during the judicial proceedings and put in writing as a report or a white paper titled ‘Robbing an Election’.

A `white paper’ on the election held in NA-124 (Lahore VII), also compiled by Aitzaz Ahsan, seeks to unmask the`conspiracy’ that resulted in unfair elections. It points to incidents such as alleged directions to the presiding officers not to provide or resist the demand to provide certified results to polling agents, or destroying vital polling material en masse before sealing the bags.

The PPP maintained that similar reports could be obtained with respect to other constituencies such as NA-51, NA-139, NA-64, NA-98, NA-39, NA-79, NA-138, NA-181, PP-175, PS-85, NA-202 an others.

Published in Dawn, May 2nd, 2015