PTI also raises question on election results delay

ISLAMABAD: After opposition parties, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has also demanded probe into the fault in the software that was allegedly responsible for delayed election results.

According to sources, PTI leader Azam Swati has submitted a call attention notice in the Senate to probe into the reasons for the Results Transmission System’s (RTS) failure. Swati also demanded that those responsible should be identified and action be taken against them.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) wrote to the Cabinet Division asking it to constitute a committee for probing the election results software malfunction, Geo News reported on Thursday.

Amid severe criticism by political parties, the ECP had blamed the collapse for the unusual delay in the results on election day. Former Senate chairman Raza Rabbani, however, lashed out on Friday at the electoral body, calling the constitution of the committee a 'mere sham.'

"We reject the ECP Secretary Babar Yaqoob's letter to constitute a probe committee," Rabbani said. "Formation of a committee to probe failure of the RTS is a mere sham. The terms of reference (ToRs) to form the committee are ambiguous and they ignore the main issue."

The PPP leader noted that ToRs of the committee did not mention the statement of Nadra that had said the system was functional. The committee should present a report on the matter within a month, the election body has recommended. ECP secretary Babar Yaqoob on July 26 said that the delay had not been caused by any 'wicked conspiracy' or pressure.

The results have been delayed as the result of transmission system malfunction while data pertaining to results was entered into it, he added. "The RTS had not been tested in Pakistan," he remarked.