as per its Terms of Reference (ToRs) written in section 3 of the ordinance and to enable it to adhere to the timeframe pursuant to section 7, each political party, which has filed an application before it, will file a concise written statement to the questionnaire.
Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk, who heads the three-member commission, said the ToRs were clear but replies of most political parties were not in accordance with these terms.Section 3 says the commission will inquire into and determine whether or not the elections were organised and conducted impartially, honestly, fairly, justly and in accordance with law; whether or not the polls were manipulated or influenced pursuant to a systematic effort by design by anyone; and whether or not their results on an overall basis are a true and fair reflection of the mandate given by the electorate. The forum will answer these questions in its findings.
Section 7 says the commission will submit its final report to the federal government as expeditiously as possible and preferably within forty-five days of its first sitting. It held its first public hearing on April 16 and will thus complete the timeframe of forty-five days on the last day of next month.
The commission also asked whether the “systematic effort” to manipulate the elections includes just National Assembly seats or the provincial assembly seats as well. If the National Assembly only, does it include all four provinces or just confined to certain provinces?
While answering this ticklish question, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) is unlikely to claim that massive electoral manipulation also took place in Sindh where it won the elections and made provincial government. But it will certainly assert that rigging happened in Punjab.
Similarly, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is unexpected to state that polls in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) also experienced rigging because it formed government in this province.
However, the PML-Q will definitely make an across the board assertion that the elections were manipulated all over Pakistan particularly in Punjab.