No bogus vote in NA-122, says inquiry commission

LAHORE: The inquiry commission judge probing alleged rigging in NA-122, Ghulam Hussain Awan, has said that no clear evidence of rigging in this constituency has come to the fore and the benefit of flaws pointed out by the inquiry committee cannot be given to any one candidate.
The judge, while recording a statement before the ET on the occasion of the filing of the inquiry report on Saturday, said that NA-122 was thoroughly audited and no irregularities were found in the audit. He said that seals of some bags were broken but that did not amount to rigging.
Later talking to the media, Ghulam Hussain Awan said that minor irregularities were found in the audit of the NA-122 elections. He said that no proof of rigging was found in the audit but only a few minor irregularities were discovered.
Meanwhile, the Election Tribunal judge, adjourning the hearing of the NA-122 rigging case till January 31, summoned the witnesses of Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq to record their statements.
The ET comprising Justice (retd) Kazim Ali Malik passed the orders on an election petition filed by PTI Chairman Imran Khan who had challenged the election of Sardar Ayaz Sadiq from the NA-122 constituency, Lahore.
During the course of Saturday’s proceedings, Judge Ghulam Hussain Awan, who recorded his statement, was cross-examined by the counsels of Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and Imran Khan. After cross-examination, the tribunal adjourn the hearing till January 31 and directed Sardar Ayaz Sadiq to present his witnesses on the next date of hearing.
It is pertinent to mention that the commission had already submitted its inspection report after the audit of the NA-122 record in the presence of Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and Imran Khan’s representatives.
Later, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq’s counsel Barrister Asjad Saeed told the media that the commission had apprised the tribunal that all valid votes were counted in the presence of the parties’ representatives and they raised no question on the validity of votes.
To a question, Asjad said that the commission had told the tribunal that it found less then 100 votes which had very minor colour difference. The commission clarified that it did not mention the vote colour difference in its report as the serial numbers corresponded with the record, he added.
Asjad further said that the commission contradicted the objections by Imran’s counsel.
He said that today it was proved again that Sardar Ayaz Sadiq won from NA-122 with a lead of more than 8000 votes.