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WEEKLY
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| Dilshad recalls EC-NAB standoff on BB-Zardari assets |
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Sunday, November 08, 2009
Mumtaz Alvi
Islamabad
The chief election commissioners have resisted pressure from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in 2005 and to take oath afresh under the executive order in 2000, former Election Commission (EC) secretary Kanwar Muhammad Dilshad said on Friday.
Talking to The News, he said in the face of the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) pressure in 2005, the then chief election commission (CEC) had showed no flexibility as the bureau had sought the list of accounts and liabilities submitted to the EC by Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari.
“The EC had also rejected the NAB’s advice that the electoral body should file an FIR against the couple for withholding information,” the former secretary recalled.
Kanwar Dilshad, who served as EC secretary from September 2004 to September 2009, said the commission had never faced pressure from the establishment or any other invisible force about the electoral process.
He said in 2000, it was made compulsory for legislators to submit their statements of accounts and liabilities. However, in 2005, the NAB contacted the ECP and sought the data on statement of accounts and liabilities of Benazir Bhutto and Zardari.
“The NAB’s contention was that the data of PPP leaders’ assets and liabilities did not tally with the 250-plus page information it had gathered. Therefore, an FIR must be filed with the Islamabad sessions court in this regard,” Dilshad added.
Taking a strong position, he continued, the EC referred to relevant provisions that the commission could not get registered an FIR against anybody and that any citizen could do that.
“The EC had told the bureau that it was the custodian of lawmakers’ interests and would never go for any action, which might be seen as undermining its sovereignty and independent character,” he added.
He said when the situation got extremely worse, he brought the matter into the notice of the then NAB chairman who readily accepted the EC’s point of view and the standoff was resolved.
“The EC had also contended that the date on statements of accounts of parliamentarians could not be shared with the NAB every year and proposed it to seek amendments to the Representation of People’s Act, 1976 and the Senate’s relevant act of 1975.”
He said the EC had successfully taken a position despite visits by the then NAB chief Lt-Gen Munir Hafeez and his team to the Election Commission Secretariat.
In reply to a question, Kanwar Dilshad said the then CEC Justice Abdul Qadeer Chaudhry had declined to take fresh oath under an executive order after the October 12, 1999 dissolution of the PML-N government.
“A group close to the then military ruler Pervez Musharraf exerted pressure on him to take a fresh oath, but he had clearly told him that he would like to go to home instead of being administered an oath under PCO in January 2000,” said Kanwar Dilshad, who was a joint secretary at that time.
Before that, he recalled, a very interesting situation developed, when a list had been issued, which had not included the post of chief election commission, which had prompted Justice Abdul Qadeer to relinquish the charge, but the matter had been resolved after the then chief of general staff General Aziz Khan had been contacted to intervene.
Kanwar Dilshad was the Balochistan Election Commissioner and contacted the Quetta corps commander about the matter.
“Within half an hour, the situation was rectified by General Aziz and a message was faxed to the chief election commissioner about retaining of his post.”
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ISSN 1563-9479 
