JC, not ex-secretary, to decide about rigging: CJ

ISLAMABAD: Former Punjab chief secretary Javed Iqbal and additional chief secretary Rao Iftikhar recorded their testimonies on Wednesday before the Judicial Commission probing the alleged rigging in the 2013 general elections.
They appeared as witnesses before the three-member Judicial Commission, headed by Chief Justice (CJ) Nasirul Mulk and comprising Justice Ameer Hani Muslim and Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan.
Both the witnesses were cross-examined by Pakistan Tehreek-Insaf (PTI) counsel Abdul Hafeez Pirzada, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) counsel Shahid Hamid and Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) counsel Salman Akram Raja.
During the hearing, the chief justice remarked that the Judicial Commission, not the former chief secretary, had to decide whether there was any rigging or not.The PTI had given a list of 14 witnesses and the commission had summoned three of them at the first stage. But only two could be examined. Former Punjab provincial election commissioner Anwar Mehboob will record his statement today. He will also be cross examined.
The Judicial Commission, before calling the witnesses on rostrum, sent the former Punjab caretaker chief minister Najam Sethi and other witnesses out of the courtroom. The major point that the PTI counsel tried to highlight through questioning during cross-examination of witnesses was the demand of 200 persons, having knowledge of printing related jobs, which was made by the Punjab provincial election commissioner Anwar Mehboob to additional chief secretary of the province.
During cross-examination, PTI counsel Abdul Hafeez Pirzada asked Javed Iqbal whether there was any role of the Punjab caretaker government in movement of election material to the polling stations to which the later replied in the positive.
Pirzada also questioned the former chief secretary whether ballot papers continued to be distributed till May 11, 2013 (the polling day), to which Javed Iqbal responded that it was true.
Pirzada also asked him what the deadline was for the distribution of ballot papers and other election material. Javed Iqbal responded that election material should be distributed two or three days prior to the polling day.
Similarly, Pirzada also questioned Javed Iqbal about the operational matters and the role of the Chief Minister’s Office. Likewise, PML-N counsel Shahid Hamid also questioned witness Javed Iqbal and asked him about his appointment date and the date of appointment of caretaker chief minister.
Hamid asked Javed Iqbal whether he was aware that 200 men, demanded by the ECP, were supposed to work for Islamabad Printing Press. Hamid also questioned Javed about his knowledge whether a provincial secretary was the brother of PTI candidate Yasmin Rashid who contested the elections against PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif to which Jawed Iqbal responded in the positive.
In response to Abdul Hafeez Pirzada’s questions, former Punjab additional chief secretary Rao Iftikhar said that he used to perform all his duties pertaining to elections or assisting the ECP under the laid down procedure and only used to take approval of the chief secretary or chief minister only whenever it was needed.
Rao Iftikhar said that it was true that he had received a call from the Punjab provincial election commissioner Anwar Mehmood regarding an urgent requirement of 200 people who had ‘know-how’ of the printing process.
Rao Iftikhar was asked whether he participated in a talk show hosted by anchor Nasim Zehra to which he replied, “Yes”. When asked whether he has stated in August 2014 programme that workforce provided for printing purposes was taken from the Urdu Bazar of Lahore, Rao replied that he could not remember stating this.
He was again asked by Pirzada that if he was shown the video of the programme in the courtroom, could he remember what he said at that time. Rao agreed.
Meanwhile, the video of the talk show was played in the courtroom where Rao Iftikhar did state that after the demand from the Punjab ECP, the provincial administration had arranged skilled men from the Urdu Bazar, Lahore.
Rao termed the video as correct and said he had stated that.PML-N counsel Shahid Hamid and ECP counsel asked one question each from Rao Iftikhar.Later, the commission adjourned the hearing till today (Thursday).