Nadra censured for complying with tribunal’s order

ISLAMABAD: The much talked about supplementary report of National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) regarding verification of votes in NA-122, which was not only criticised by the tribunal judge but also by Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, was prepared on PTI’s insistence and upon orders of ET judge Kazim Ali Malik, well-placed sources in Nadra told The News.
The sources said that when Nadra presented its report to the election tribunal the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf had pointed to many issues in the report regarding the votes that were declared valid by Nadra and insisted before the tribunal that no further proceeding can be done before clarification by Nadra. ET judge Kazim Ali Malik, after hearing the arguments of PTI, had given the papers submitted by PTI to Nadra chief who was asked to clarify the points raised by PTI.
Nadra is still in possession of those papers (copies available with The News). On the instructions of Justice (retd) Kazim Ali Malik Nadra submitted a supplementary report before the commission, the sources said.
The covering letter of the supplementary report submitted to the tribunal reads: ““In compliance with orders received from the honorable Election Tribunal Lahore vide Order # No.F 10(16)/2013-ETL 10-Court Street Lahore dated 9th March, 2015, NADRA carried out the examination and comparison of the Election Material including used Counterfoils and Photo Electoral Rolls provided in respect of polling stations of constituency No NA-122 Lahore.”
PTI’s main objection was that many voters were registered in other constituencies but they cast their votes in NA-122. The sources maintained that those who cast their votes in NA-122 actually shifted their votes from other constituencies to NA-122 where Imran Khan was contesting the election and after the election they again shifted their votes back to their respective constituencies.
The sources said that chairman Nadra Usman Mubeen who was at that time scheduled to leave for the United Kingdom instructed his staff to clarify the position before the ET and upon advice from Director General (Legal), Nadra, a supplementary report was submitted before the tribunal.
After submission of the supplementary Justice (retd) Kazim Ali Malik questioned the authority of submitting such a report though it was submitted upon his orders. After the decision in NA-122 case Imran Khan demanded resignation of chairman Nadra for submitting a supplementary report. Khan hurriedly asked for chairman Nadra’s resignation though PTI’s success in NA-122 was mainly because of Nadra’s report prepared under the supervision of same Nadra chairman.
On the other hand, the sources confide that the PML-N is also not happy with Nadra chief for submitting a supplementary report in NA-122. They said that PML-N believes that it this supplementary report that created trouble for Sardar Ayaz Sadiq in NA-122. The sources in Nadra said that they are not getting good signals from the government in the wake of the decisions about NA-122 and NA-154. They say that besides PML-N and PTI the judge who ordered Nadra to submit a supplementary report has also criticised it in the judgement. “Nadra’s main job is something else while it is being dragged into voters’ verification”, the sources added.