Najam Sethi, Hamid Mir to testify on Monday

ISLAMAABAD: The three-member Inquiry Commission probing the alleged rigging in 2013 general elections will record the testimonies of former Punjab caretaker chief minister Najam Sethi and senior anchorperson Hamid Mir on Monday.
The commission, headed by Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk, has summoned Najam Sethi and Hamid Mir on the request of PTI counsel Abdul Hafeez Pirzada.Abdul Hafeez Pirzada requested the commission that he wanted to cross-examine Najam Sethi and Hamid Mir.
He further informed the commission that as he could not consult his client for instructions about the reply filed the other day by the Pakistan People’s Party, therefore he will also argue on it on Monday.
The PPP the other day in pursuance of the questions asked by the learned commission from all political parties about the alleged rigging filed its reply submitting that the results were shocking and surprising, especially in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa and Punjab. It alleged that the returning and presiding officers were used to subvert the results.
The commission had asked Abdul Hafeez Pirzada to take instructions from his client and inform it.On Friday, Shahid Hamid, counsel for PML-N, cross-examined former Secretary Election Commission Ishtiaq Ahmed Khan.
Replying to the PML-N counsel’s questions, Ishtiaq Ahmed Khan testified that it was correct to say that extra ballot papers had been printed for general elections since 1970.To another question, he said it was correct to say that the Presiding Officers (Pos) had dispatched forms 14 and 15 to the respective Returning Officers (ROs) in white and yellow bags.
Referring to questions about foreign observers for monitoring the general elections, former secretary ECP said observes from Canada, Japan, European Union, Malaysia and other countries monitored the 2013 general elections adding that Free and Fair Election Network (Fafen) was also allowed to monitor the elections.
Asked if the foreign and local observers had filed reports with the Election Commission after the elections were over and whether the ECP on December 9, 2013 issued the post-election report, the former secretary ECP replied that the commission did not issue its report but relied on the reports submitted by foreign and local observers adding that the ECP had decided to put on its website the reports of foreign observers.
To another question, he said when the election reforms committee was established, the Election Commission had sent 33 copies of observers to the said committee.ECP counsel Salman Akram Raja also cross-examined the former secretary ECP.
Meanwhile, the Inquiry Commission adjourned the hearing till Monday, June 01 wherein testimonies of former caretaker Chief Minister Punjab Najam Sethi and anchorperson Hamid Mir will be recorded.