ECP thwarts postal ballot fraud bid to rig NA by-polls in Kurram

ISLAMABAD: In a dramatic move, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has thwarted an attempted postal ballot fraud to rig the upcoming by-polls for an NA constituency (Kurram), Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, being conducted on February 19. The prompted departmental inquiries and action against police officers and officials, who were involved in the scam involving hundreds of bogus applications.

Some 600 applications for postal ballots were received from the Police Department for by-polls in NA-45 Kurram-1, and the inquiry found all of them bogus with the applicants including at least two dead, five individuals staying currently abroad while many other terminated and retired officials and some others who had voluntarily quit.

Interestingly, during random checking of these applications, it was unearthed that all applications had been forwarded by the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Central Kurram, having a single return address of Superintendent of Police (SP) (Investigation), Sadda, Lower Kurram.

It was found out that the total strength of the police in Kurram was 1200, one third of whom were currently on training in Kohat, Hangu and Peshawar since mid-January, and under the standard operating procedure, their applications must have come from where they are currently being imparted trained. The KP provincial election commissioner has forwarded to the ECP secretary a report, sent to him by the district returning officer, Kurram, after conducting an inquiry, which says that the PTI candidate from the constituency, Fakhar Zaman, has conceded that he was responsible for the unexpected manipulation and manoeuvring. Before the returning officer, he conceded to have had ordered for preparing and sending all these applications for issuance of postal ballots and pleaded that the Police Department should not be punished for the fraud.

To dig deeper, notices were issued to respective officers, and all of them appeared in person and recorded their statements on the matter. The DPO, in his statement and cross-examination, said he was totally unaware of the entire episode and that he had neither authorised someone for it and nor himself forwarded any application of the Police Department to the returning officer for the purpose. However, he added that upon coming to know about the situation, he charge-sheeted Muhammadi Khan, DSP, Central Kurram; Zarif Khan, DSP; Muhammad Anwar, ASI and Dilawar Khan, head constable and appointed SP Investigation, Kurram for initiating proceedings against them under the Police Rules, 1975, suspended HC Dilawar Khan and ASI Muhammad Anwar while Zarif Khan, DSP and Muhammadi Khan, DSP were called back to Police Lines. Several related officers were also questioned about the episode.

On his part, the provincial election commissioner, in a note, attached with the report, recommended a regular inquiry into the matter involving planning for use of postal ballots in favour of a particular candidate.

He suggested that strict disciplinary action should be taken against all the persons involved in the act, so that responsibility could be fixed and the culprits could be punished.

Taking notice, the ECP, after preliminary hearing, summoned all the characters of the fraud including the PTI candidate from NA-45 as well as the government servants to appear before it on Feb 12.