ISLAMABAD: The PML-N reiterated before the poll inquiry commission on Monday that the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf had no admissible or credible evidence to support the allegations levelled by it about rigging in the 2013 general elections.

In a rejoinder to the April 29 PTI statement, the PML-N through its senior counsel Shahid Hamid insisted that there was no plan, no design, no conspiracy and no systematic effort to manipulate or influence the last elections by the party or anyone else. The elections were conducted and organised by the Election Commission as per its constitutional mandate and overall the results were fair and a true reflection of the mandate of the people.

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In its statement, the PTI had alleged that the architects of the rigging were the PML-N, its supporters, accomplices, associates and cohorts. It said returning officers, presiding officers and other polling officials, elements of the election machinery and bureaucracy were also co-opted into this design and they also aided, abetted and facilitated the implementation of the plan.

The PML-N argued that verbal and documentary evidence produced before the Judicial Commission by any party should be in accordance with the provisions of the Qanun-i-Shahadat Order 1984 and subject to the limits prescribed by the presidential ordinance which stated that information or documents should to be relevant to the subject of the commission.

The PML-N recalled that of the 411 election petitions, 58 had been filed by the PTI – 30 related to the National Assembly (NA) seats, including 19 in Punjab, and 28 to the provincial assembly (PA) seats, including 23 in Punjab.

Two of the 58 petitions have been accepted, 44 dismissed and 12 are pending. And out of the total 411 petitions, 45 have been accepted, 328 dismissed and 38 (18 NA and 20 PA seats) are pending. The preponderant majority of challenges to individual NA and PA seats had thus been rejected, the PML-N said.

In by-elections held pursuant to vacancies created by the accepted election petitions, the voting pattern of May 11, 2013, was by and large repeated, it said, adding that the recent local bodies’ elections in cantonment boards in which the PML-N won 68 seats against 42 by the third-placed PTI had further confirmed/affirmed PML-N’s victory margin in May 2013. It necessarily follows that the mandate given by the people in the last general elections remained firm and intact.

The PML-N said it had not filed any list of witnesses but reserved the right to call up witnesses that might be necessary in the light of statements made by the witnesses selected by the commission and otherwise in the course of proceedings.

Referring to a proposal by the PPP to open election bags, the PML-N said it would violate Article 225 and sections 9(2) and 10 of the presidential ordinance. Neither the PML-N nor any of its returned candidates are responsible or liable in any manner whatsoever in the preparation, custody and maintenance of the record contained in the election bags. The fact that it is lying in the district treasuries does not mean that it is in control of the PML-N government.

The rejoinder said that any incorrectness or incompleteness of the record in these polling bags could not, therefore, be attributed even remotely to the PML-N. It is self-evident that a year after the expiry of the one year statutory period prescribed for its maintenance, no value can even otherwise be attached to any inspection now made of the contents of the record contained in the polling bags.

“Finally assuming without conceding that any such inspection is deemed necessary by the commission, it cannot be of constituencies at the pointation of Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan, representing the PPP, or the PTI,” it emphasised.

The PML-N said the commission must itself select constituencies, not only from each province but also of returned candidates of each political party and that also only after due notice was given to such returned candidates and they were heard.

In its statement, the PPP had requested the commission to order opening of polling record of 65 constituencies of the National Assembly for inspection.

Published in Dawn, May 5th, 2015

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