PML-N, PPP claim cameras installed in Senate polling booths

ISLAMABAD: The PML-N Senator Dr Musadik Malik and PPP Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar claimed Friday that cameras were been installed in polling booths set up for the election of the Senate chairman and deputy chairman.

The senators had shared apparent evidence on Twitter hours before the Senate was set to elect its new chairman and deputy chairman. "What a freaking joke. The senate polling booth has secret /hidden cameras installed," tweeted Dr Musadik Malik along with the pictures of cameras.

Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi while addressing a news conference accused the prime minister and Sadiq Sanjrani in the whole episode of installation of hidden cameras over the polling booth, saying that no person could enter the Senate hall without permission of officials and security staff.

The PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal termed the hidden cameras scandal as the bigger scandal than the Watergate scandal involving the US administration of then President Richard Nixon from 1971 to 1974.

Later, Dr Malik said that both PML-N and PPP had directed them to check the polling booth before the election of the Senate chairman.

"Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar and I went to the polling station on direction of our parties to check the polling booth," said Dr Malik.

The PML-N senator said that when they arrived at the booth, there were "hidden cameras" right above the polling booth.

Musadik Malik said that one camera was directed exactly towards the person voting and the second hidden camera was focused on the ballot paper. He also claimed that there was a lamp inside the polling booth with "holes" in it, adding that there were many microphones and cameras in it. The PML-N leader called on the police to take the cameras as "evidence" and called for the opening of a "device" stuck in the booth in front of the opposition so they could see what was in it.

On the other hand, Khokhar said the important thing to note was that the House’s security is focused on the Senate chairman, secretary and head of security.

“An investigation should be held on how this security breach was done,” said Khokhar. He also asked that investigation be held to see if these three people were involved in this breach.

“If the polling booth was protected by current chairman and his men, this means a plan was there to steal the election,” claimed the senator. He added that both the parties’ senators will hold consultations after taking their oaths on who should investigate the matter.

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said the PDM leadership was already complaining that institutions were getting involved in elections of the Senate chairman and deputy chairman. “An attempt has been made to steal these elections,” he said.

He said the institutions directly report to prime minister. He said adding that following recovery of cameras, the credibility of prime minister, Senate chairman and Friday’s elections has come to zero.

Holding the prime minister and Sadiq Sanjrani responsible for installation of cameras, Abbasi said that any activity inside the Senate hall could be checked from CCTV cameras. “It should also be checked as to when the Senate chairman came to the Parliament House and when he left,” he said.