ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) released another report about the breach of duty by the 20 presiding officers (POs) and security staff overseeing the NA-75 Sialkot-IV by-election held on February 19, 2021.
The 133-page fact-finding report blames some police officers for their ‘serious’ involvement in the manipulation of the election process and taking 20 POs into their custody. The report has demanded criminal proceedings against all the police officers involved in this act.
“All police officers remained seriously involved in illegal activities pertaining to the manipulation of election process, violating the code of conduct issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan and different clauses of security plan issued by the DPO, taking into custody of 20 POs with their will or without and taking them to some suspicious places where allegedly the election results were changed by threatening them.
“Their such undesirable conduct by all means falls under the misconduct and prejudice to good order of service which requires that departmental and criminal proceedings should be initiated against them all on the following allegations in light of available statements and authentic data,” read the report.
The ECP in its report said that during the Daska by-elections on February 19 police, local administration and election officials were found to be “puppets in the hands of their unlawful masters”, hence they could not perform their duty as expected.
The report describes police’s role as more authoritative than supportive during the bye-polls, as they were found to be “dictating the POs to what to do and what not to do”.
They made unnecessary visits to polling stations and even talked to police personnel which was not their mandate, the report added.
Violence, rigging and disappearance of more than 20 presiding officers was reported in the elections, following which an inquiry was launched by the ECP. The election commission had ordered re-election after withholding the results suspecting rigging in the polls.
Later, Pakistan Muslim League-N candidate Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar won the election in April by securing 110,075 votes against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Ali Asjad Malhi, who had received 93,433 votes.
PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif blamed the PTI for alleged rigging and manipulation in the Daska by-elections. He has also demanded Prime Minister Imran Khan to step down and face legal action for the rigging.
ECP’s recommendations viewing irregularities
Viewing the irregularities in the by-polls, the ECP report has made several recommendations including providing a tracking chip in the form of a disposable bracelet bearing a unique number to PO to know about his/ her location and to avoid such incidents in the future.
The ECP said it was the poor administration of the deputy returning officer and returning officer which resulted in re-polling of NA-75 Sialkot-IV.
“It is recommended that they both may not be posted at any administrative post and they may also be kept aloof of all such activities pertaining to the conduct of any kind of election the activities which require prompt decision making,” it said.
The election commission suggested that proper SOPs should be devised to depute only official Naib Qasids with the POs and no private person should be engaged for this purpose.
“The Senior Assistant Presiding Officers may be made bound to remain with the POs right from the office of the RO after taking the election material one day before the poll day and depositing it back to the RO office after the close of polls as soon as they complete the sealing of polling bags at their respective polling stations.
“Log of the vehicles must be maintained by the RO to ascertain the departure and arrival of vehicles along with the number of persons traveling in it,” recommended the inquiry report.
The report urged to transfer staff who are posted for a very long time to other districts after every three years.
“Form-45 and Form-46 may be amended to provide space for the receiving of polling agents,” it added.
