PML-N, PTI, ANP submit evidence to Judicial Commission

ISLAMABAD: Several political parties, including the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Awami National Party, provided evidence about alleged poll rigging to the Judicial Commission on Saturday.
A deadline to submit evidence in the General Election Inquiry Commission (GEIC), formed to probe alleged rigging in the 2013 general elections, was set for Saturday noon.
A PML-N delegation, headed by Raja Zafarul Haq, submitted its reply to the commission. He said the proof submitted by the PTI has no substance. He claimed that no rigging took place during the 2013 general elections. PML-N leader Rafique Rajwana said no systematic rigging was committed during the election and the ruling party has come to power through the people’s mandate. The reply said most PTI candidates had accepted their defeat in the election and only five percent approached the election tribunals. The PML-N requested the commission to safely conclude the result of the general elections on overall basis (14,874,104 votes for PML-N, 7,679,954 for PTI, 6,911,218 for PPPP, lesser number for other parties) are a true and fair reflection of the mandate given by the people of Pakistan.
The complainant, PTI, has to specify that who conspired, with whom, where, when and what illegal acts were committed and what illegal means employed, the reply added.
The PML-N finds no ground to differ with the main thrust of the report submitted by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
The PTI petition does not even attempt to show that the PML-N was involved in any manner, or at any level, with the alleged systematic manipulation of the general elections.
The reply further stated that the so-called ‘illustrative’ statements submitted by office-bearers of the losing parties are a standard practice after all elections in Pakistan to explain their electoral defeats.
Such statements do not in any way invalidate the election results.
The PML-N in its response stated that reports by international and local observers have value depending upon their reputation for integrity and independence and their technical resources.
The PML-N has a popular mandate to complete its 5-year term and will do so. The PTI is at liberty to make whatever demands its leadership chooses to raise but these must be within the framework of the Constitution and the law.
The PML-N is firmly of the view that he attempt to remove the government through prolonged dharnas on Constitution Avenue, which also affected the working of the Supreme Court and the call for civil disobedience and non-payment of taxes and electricity bills was un-constitutional, the PML-N reply stated.
However, it is for PTI to present evidence that the 2013 general elections were not conducted as per constitutional mandate, that they were systematically rigged under pre-planned conspiracy and that the notified results do not reflect the mandate of people.
The PML-N is not an accused in these proceedings because, amongst other things, there is no allegation that the PML-N is a party to any pre-planned conspiracy for systematic rigging, the reply added.
Talking to reporters outside Supreme Court after submitting the response before the GEIC, Chairman PML-N Raja Zafarul Haq said the party has submitted its response to the commission. He said the PTI has no solid evidence of systematic rigging in the general elections.
The PTI delegation, headed by Ishaq Khawar, also furnished proofs of election rigging to the judicial commission. Khawar said the party has furnished rigging in 43 National and 35 provincial constituencies.
The ANP also provided evidence into the alleged election frauds to the judicial commission. ANP leader Bushra Gohar said they have provided the winning letters issued by different security agencies, recordings of threats received by ANP leaders and other supporting documents to the judicial commission. She said the party faced constant threats from Taliban and the FIRs the part had lodged against them have also been provided to the judicial commission.
Meanwhile, the PML-Q has requested the judicial commission to allow the party to produce 32 eyewitnesses of the rigging to the judicial commission to testify them.
PML-Q counsel Dr Ranjha formally submitted an application to the judicial commission to allow the party to produce their eyewitnesses including their MPs and MNAs to testify before the court.
The reply submitted by the MQM states PML-N, PPP and PTI committed rigging by spending over the allocated limit on their election campaigns. The next hearing of the GEIC will be held on April 27.