Nawaz complains of pre-poll rigging but avoids approaching ECP

ISLAMABAD: Issues like pre-poll rigging and political engineering connected with the general elections fall well within the domain of the all-powerful Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), however, the constitutional body requires a formal reference and solid evidence to check such interventions.

Mian Nawaz Sharif has been heard complaining about pre-poll rigging during the recent days but so far it remains a political statement as nothing has been moved so far before the Election Commission either by him or his party.

Former secretary ECP Kanwar Dilshad, when approached, told The News that the ECP has enormous powers to address the complaints like those of pre-poll rigging. He, however, said the ECP could only move if a formal reference about pre-poll rigging is filed with the Commission.

If the Commission is satisfied with the evidence produced before it, Dilshad said, the ECP could pass an order to ensure free and fair elections. The ECP after the enactment of Elections Act, 2017 has become really independent and all-powerful to deal with any issue challenging the fairness of the elections.

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif apprehended, a few days back, that the country was heading towards pre-poll rigging. He warned that in such a scenario, nobody would accept the election results.

Talking to reporters outside the accountability court on Monday last, he said that some of the political parties had been pushed against the wall, while there were no holds barred for others. "If this continues to happen, then what kind of free and fair elections will be held? You should just forget about having free and fair elections," he was quoted by the media as saying, lamenting in the same breath the remarks of Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar that there was bad governance in Punjab.

“I can’t understand the logic behind the statement that there is bad governance in Punjab,” he said, adding that even a layman would say that governance in the Punjab was much better than in the other three provinces.

Referring to the CJP’s statement, he said, “Talking like this is equal to becoming a party to the elections which is not acceptable at all.” In an earlier statement made last week, Nawaz Sharif sounded upset about the recent operation of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against the PML-N leaders. Nawaz Sharif had told the media that he would ask Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to bring about a law through an ordinance in order to suspend the NAB law during the interim period of the caretaker government.

Nawaz Sharif had alleged that the Bureau was being used to pressurise politicians for changing their loyalties. He insisted that there should be level playing field for all in the upcoming general elections.

These statements of the PML-N top leader clearly reflect of his growing doubts about the fairness of the general elections. Nawaz though expresses such doubts in his public statements, neither he nor his party has moved as yet any reference before the ECP to address such concerns.