ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has frustrated an attempted postal ballot fraud to rig upcoming by-poll for the National Assembly constituency in Kurram, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, triggering departmental inquiries against police officers and other people concerned in the scam involving hundreds of bogus applications, informed sources told Dawn.

Around 600 applications for postal ballots were received by the ECP from the police department for the by-election in NA-45, Kurram-1, scheduled to be held on Feb 19, and the inquiry found them all to be bogus with two applicants dead, five individuals currently abroad and several others terminated and retired officials and some others having quit voluntarily.

During the random checking of these applications, it was found that all the 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.

Interestingly, the total strength of the police in Kurram comes to 1200, one third of whom are currently on training in Kohat, Hangu and Peshawar since mid January, and under the procedure their applications should have come from where they are currently being trained.

The provincial election commissioner of KP forwarded to the ECP Secretary a report sent to him by the District Returning Officer, Kurram, after conducting an inquiry, according to which the PTI candidate from the constituency, Fakhar Zaman, had conceded that he was responsible for the entire scam.

He appeared before the returning officer to say that he had ordered preparation and sending all these applications for issuance of postal ballots papers and pleaded that the officers of the police department were not guilty and they should not be punished for the incident.

Notices were issued to Tahir Iqbal, District Police Officer (DPO), District Kurram; Khalid Usman, SP (Investigation), Lower Kurram; Muhammadi Khan, DSP, Central Kurram; and Kiramatullah, Post Master, Sadda, Lower Kurram, for appearance before the DRO. All of them appeared in person and recorded their statements.

The DPO, in his statement and cross-examination, told the DRO that he was unaware of the entire episode and that he had neither authorised someone for it nor himself forwarded any application of the police department to the returning officer for the purpose.

However, he said that upon knowing about the matter, he had charge-sheeted Mr Muhammadi Khan, DSP, Central Kurram; Zarif Khan, DSP; Muhammad Anwar, ASI; and Dilawar Khan, HC. and appointed SP of Investigation, Kurram, for initiating proceedings against police officers under Police Rules, 1975. He further said that he had suspended HC Dilawar Khan and ASI Muhammad Anwar while Zarif Khan, DSP, and Muhammadi Khan, DSP, had been called back to the Police Lines.

Muhammadi Khan, DSP, Central Kurram, submitted his written statement in which he admitted that he had forwarded these applications, considering it the legal right of the police personnel.

Mr Khalid Usman, SP (Investigation), said that he was not aware of the incident and even about his office address being used as the return address of the applicants. However, he said, he was investigating the matter and would submit his report as soon as possible.

Post Master Kiramatullah in his statement and cross-examination informed the DRO that his postman named Sami-ur-Rehman handed over him a bag of 400 applications along with Rs20,000 for sending these applications through Registry Posts to the Returning Officer, NA-45, Kurram-1, and he did the needful according to the procedure of the post office.

In reply to a question, he said that he did ask the postman about these 400 applications and the postman named Mr Wassi of the Special Branch as deliverer of these applications.

In reply to another question, he said that several applications had mere name of applicants and they were without parents’ names and addresses. He admitted that it was his negligence which occurred due to workload.

The provincial election commissioner in a note attached with the report recommended a regular inquiry into the matter.

He said that strict disciplinary action should be taken against all police officials and other government officials involved in the matter so that responsibility could be fixed and culprits could be punished.

He stressed the need for establishing writ of the ECP by curbing the practice of misusing the facility of casting votes by the eligible and entitled voters by postal ballot.

The ECP after a preliminary hearing has summoned all the characters of the episode including the PTI candidate and government employees to appear before on Feb 12 (today).

Published in Dawn, February 12th, 2021