Ag Agencies
ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday declared the by-poll held on February 19 in the NA-75 Sialkot-IV constituency as void and ordered holding fresh polls in the entire constituency on March 18.
The short order was issued by a commission headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja. The polling process was marred by violence that claimed the lives of two people and left several injured and allegations of rigging after a number of presiding officers went “missing” in the dead of night and the ECP was unable to get in touch with them.
In a press release issued on February 20, the ECP said it had withheld results over suspicions of rigging. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) insisted that their candidate, Ali Asjad Malhi, won the election by a margin of 7,000 votes. However, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz had over the course of polling tweeted a number of videos of suspicious activity which she said was evidence of the alleged rigging. The PML-N, too, claimed it had won the poll. The NA-75 seat was vacated after the lawmaker died, who was a member of the PML-N.
Thursday’s order voiding the election was issued after hearing a case filed by Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar, the PML-N candidate over the alleged disappearance of about 20 polling staffers. The proceedings were also heard by a panel that included Justice (retd) Altaf Ibrahim Qureshi, Justice (retd) Mrs Irshad Qaiser, Nisar Durrani and Shah Muhammad Jatoi.
The CEC in his order said the arguments were heard and record was perused. He added from the perusal of available records produced by the parties, the returning officer, as well as those collected by the commission through different sources, the “commission has come to the conclusion that a conducive environment was not available for the candidates and voters of the constituency”.
He added that the election in the subject constituency “has not been conducted honestly, justly and in a transparent manner”. “Incidents of murders, firing and injuries, bad law and order situation in the constituency, creating harassment for voters and other circumstances leading to make the process of result doubtful and unascertainable,” he added.
He said the detailed reasons of this order shall be recorded later on separately, directing the office to take follow-up actions accordingly.
Furthermore, according to a press release issued by the ECP later in the day, the Punjab Chief Secretary and Punjab’s Inspector General of Police have been ordered to appear before it on March 4 on their “negligence in fulfilment of duties” during the by-poll in constituency NA-75 Sialkot-IV.
The commission also issued directives to transfer the Commissioner Gujranwala Division and RPO Gujranwala Region from their existing positions. The commission ordered the Establishment Division to suspend Deputy Commissioner Sialkot, Assistant Commissioner Sialkot and District Police Officer Sialkot.
The commission ordered the federal and Punjab governments to suspend DSP Sumrial and DSP Daska and avoid assigning them further such duties. The commission said that it will initiate inquiry against these officers or direct federal or provincial governments to start investigation.
According to The News Editor Investigations Ansar Abbasi, the “missing” presiding officers will also face a trial, which may lead to a three-year imprisonment.
Reacting to the ECP’s decision, Punjab Chief Minister’s aide Firdous Awan tweeted that PTI candidate Malhi will challenge the ECP’s ruling in the Supreme Court and that it is “incomprehensible” why a victorious candidate was not being allowed to representing his constituency.
Earlier, Information Minister Shibli Faraz at a press conference outside the ECP said it was a matter of pride for the PTI that “today the state institutions are free and independent”. “We respect the decisions of institutions. We are trying to hold elections on whose transparency no one can point a finger”, he said while talking to media persons along with PTI leader Usman Dar.
The ECP had issued a short order and the PTI would review the legal options in consultation with its legal team, he added. The minister said said they knew what Rana Sanaullah, Ahsan Iqbal and Javed Latif were doing in Daska. “If we had to rig the polls, we could have done it in Wazirabad,” he added.
The PML-N, on the other hand, welcomed the decision. Maryam Nawaz, in a series of tweets said Nawaz Sharif’s narrative being echoed all over the country. “Respect the vote. Thanks to the people of Daska who not only voted but also guarded the vote and caught the vote thieves red handed and handed them over to the law.”
“The decision of the Election Commission is welcome but the big question from the re-poll is where did this conspiracy come from? Whose orders were the chief secretary, IG, commissioner and other government officials listening to? For a fair election, all of them must be brought to book and the links of the conspiracy must be opened.”
She also praised the ECP for standing firm in the face of “state repression, bullying and intimidation of ministers”. “The Election Commission has enhanced the credibility and respect of the people with this decision.”