Extra ballot papers printed in certain constituencies

ISLAMABAD: Former provincial election commissioner (Punjab) Mehboob Anwar testified before the Judicial Commission on Thursday that extra ballot papers for certain constituencies were printed during the elections and he did not seek any permission from the higher authorities in this regard.
A three-member Judicial Commission, headed by Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk, resumed hearing in the alleged rigging in 2013 general elections.Mehboob Anwar recorded his testimony on oath before the Commission. Abdul Hafeez Pirzada, counsel for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) cross examined the former official of the Punjab government.
He testified that it was correct to say that extra ballot papers were printed for certain constituencies on the request of the Returning Officers in excess to the registered voters of the constituencies however, he said that he did not know the names of those constituencies.
Pirzada asked the former provincial election commissioner as to whether he sought any proper permission from the higher authorities for printing extra ballot papers. “No, I did not but intimated the higher authorities about the request of the ROs”, Mahboob Anwar replied.
When Pirzada asked Mehboob Anwar about NA-154 if the RO of the said constituency asked him to print extra 15,000 ballot papers in excess of the registered voters, the former provincial election chief replied that he did not remember that the RO of the said constituency demanded extra ballot papers.
NA-154 was the Lodhran constituency where Jehangir Khan Tareen of PTI lost to an independent candidate Muhammad Siddique Khan Baloch during the 2013 general elections. Siddique Baloch was declared winning candidate by securing 86,046 votes while Jehangir Khan Tareen got 75,814 votes.To another query, Mehboob Anwar said that it was correct to say that all the requests of the ROs were recorded in the Election Commission (EC).
Mehboob Anwar further testified that it was correct to say that printing of ballot papers and other required material could not be completed by May 5, 2013 adding that usually the material reached polling stations two or three days before the election but it could not.
Pirzada however, confronting the reply of the official showed him a letter, addressed by the Printing Corporation of Pakistan (PCP) intimating the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) that printing of ballot papers was completed by May 5, 2013.
“Did anybody ask explanation from you about such delay?” Pirzada inquired the official. No, nobody asked his explanation in this regard”, Mehboob Anwar replied.To another question, he said that it was correct to say that he used to get written instructions from the higher authorities.
To another question, Mehboob Anwar said that he met only one time with the member election commission adding that during their meeting, no particular issue came under discussion.Replying to another question, he expressed his ignorance about the permanent stay of the Chief Election Commissioner either in Islamabad or Karachi.
Meanwhile, the Judicial Commission directed the ruling Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) to submit a list of witnesses by Monday.Shahid Hamid, counsel for PML-N submitted that they wanted to file names of witnesses at which the Commission directed the learned counsel to file it by Monday ruling that from Monday they would resume the hearing at 9:30am.
The Commission also directed Mehboob Anwar to avoid discussing details of the commission’s proceeding with anyone as he was required to appear before it again and would be cross examined further.Later, the Commission adjourned the hearing till today (Friday) wherein Mehboob Anwar will be cross examined by counsels of PML-N and Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).