Postal ballot fraud in Kurram by-polls: ECP records statements of officials

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan on Friday recorded statements of officials concerned in relation to an attempted postal ballot fraud in the by-election in NA-45, Kurram-1, but the contesting candidate of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf failed to turn up.

According to ECP sources, the commission directed him to appear on Monday and after that a decision would be taken on the attempted rigging. However, the candidate Fakhr Zaman’s lawyer and brother appeared before the five-member forum. After listening to the candidate, the commission is expected to announce its decision in the matter.

The returning officer for NA-45, Kurram-1, had reported a case to the commission regarding about 600 applications for the issuance of postal ballot, after he smelt something wrong in it. The matter was brought to the notice of District Returning Officer Khurshid Alam who took notice of the incident and issued notices to the police, the Postal Department and other officials and sent a report to the commission after conducting a preliminary inquiry. At the preliminary hearing, the candidate had conceded he was to be blamed in the matter and urged the district returning officer that the police officials were innocent in the episode.

The applications turned out to be fake due to which the commission took stern notice of the matter and after the preliminary hearing, notices were issued to all concerned including government officials to appear in person on February 12 at 11 am. Accordingly, Hayatullah Jan, returning officer for the by-election, Khurshid Alam, district returning officer, Haroon Khan Shinwari, joint provincial election commissioner, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mohammadi Khan, deputy superintendent of Police, Kurram West, Tahir Iqbal, district police officer, Kurram, Khalid Usman, superintendent of police, Kurram, Karamatullah, postmaster, appeared before the ECP.