ISLAMABAD: The National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) forensic report of NA-122 submitted to the election tribunal on Saturday could not find out even a single ballot paper printed in Urdu Bazaar, Lahore or a fake ballot paper and declared that in 100 percent cases the counterfoils were the same as were issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). Not only this, 48,401 thumb impressions that the Nadra machines were able to read from electoral rolls and counterfoils matched in all 100 percent cases. This kind of verification was asked for the first by any tribunal. Out of a total of 11 TORs given by the tribunal to Nadra, the authority has shown minor or negligible problems in two TORs only in addition to discussing the already mentioned routine irregularities on a very little and negligible scale. A total of 184,151 votes were polled in NA-122 on May 11, 2013. The authority has already stated in detail that in most cases, its system could not verify thumb impressions taken manually on paper from the digitally captured thumb impressions saved in its database. A very little percentage of thumb impressions is verified by Nadra in all the cases referred to it. In case of NA-122, the authority successfully processed 73,478 thumb impressions whereas 93,852 thumb impressions were not readable by the Nadra system. Sardar Ayaz Sadiq had secured 93,389 votes followed by Imran Khan securing 84,517 votes in this constituency. TOR#1: The total number of used counterfoils having invalid CNICs was 6,123; there were mistakes in writing CNIC numbers in 2,862 cases and the CNIC number was illegible in 3,440 cases. The CNIC numbers are written by the presiding officers in each and every case and there are chances of little mistake and human error in one or two percent cases which is normal and the same is the case here. Both parties admit it as an irregularity, not rigging. TOR#2: There were 370 counterfoils where no CNIC number was given. It is a serious irregularity that occurred in 0.2 percent cases having no impact on the results. It is important to mention that initially even the PTI had included unsigned and unstamped ballot papers in “rigging”. When the Election Tribunal appointed a local commission for inspection of record and it was decided that unsigned and unstamped ballot papers will be excluded from counting, 1,467 ballot papers were rejected and this resulted in increase of lead of Sardar Ayaz Sadiq over Imran Khan by 137 votes. It only means such common and routine irregularities must be avoided but it affects the candidates almost equally and never constitutes the chance of rigging. TOR#3: No unallocated used counterfoils (which had not been allocated to NA-122 by the ECP) was found which means no fake ballot papers whatsoever was used and this fact has been established forensically by the Nadra report. TOR#4: No unallocated unused counterfoils (which had not been allocated to NA-122 by the ECP) were found. It also points to same finding as in TOR#3. TOR#5: The number of duplicate voters, who exercised their right to vote more than once was 255 and one voter succeeded in deceiving the system three times. This was the first serious problem mentioned by the Nadra, but its volume is negligible as the total number of votes polled was more than 184,000. TOR#6: There were 1,715 used counterfoils without thumb impression. It is an irregularity, which benefited both candidates, that should be avoided, though it does not impact on results. TOR#7: The number of counterfoils with fingerprints matching the data was 73,473. TOR#8: Fingerprints failing authentication were 51. These were fake voters who polled votes in the name of voters registered in this constituency. This aspect could have been serious if there had been a large number of such fake or bogus voters but 51 out of 184, 000 is negligible. TOR#9: The thumb impressions that the Nadra system could not read were 93,852. Interestingly, some politicians mislead their followers by telling them that these were fake votes. TOR#10: 570 voters who polled their votes in NA-122 were not registered in the constituency. This can also be because of wrong handwriting by the presiding officer. Even if they were not voters, this amount will add to 51 fake votes, 255 double voters and one triple voter and the total figure will reach 877 fake votes out of a total of 1,84,151 polled votes. TOR#11: Of the number of used counterfoils bearing thumb impressions of electors which did not match with the thumb impressions on the electoral roll, Nadra was able to process 48,401 thumb impressions and all matched.
