The General Elections Inquiry Commission (GEIC) Wednesday directed all the District Judges to unseal by June 8, 2015 polling bags for procuring complete record of ballot papers used during the 2013 general elections. Chairman of the GEIC Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk held an in-camera meeting with election commission experts and the counsel for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan People Party Parliamentarian (PPP) and Balochistan National Party to discuss the option of opening polling bags to procure the copies of Form - XV.
Form - XV carries the ballot paper account prepared by presiding officers that contains statistics about the number of ballot papers entrusted to him, and those taken out from the ballot boxes and counted, besides the number of tendered, challenged and spoiled ballots.
After deliberations, the GEIC passed an order to obtain the copies of Form - XV from the bags retained at the relevant treasuries on behalf of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). "All political parties agree that the task be assigned to the District Judges of the respective districts. They shall obtain the copies of Form-XV, pertaining to the National Assembly and Provincial Assembly constituencies falling within their Districts. In case a constituency spreads over more than one District the senior of the District Judges in the concerned Districts shall perform the task," the GEIC order said.
The order further directed the respective district election commissioners and their staff to assist judicial officers in the process. "For the said purpose 'white', 'khaki' and 'blue' bags containing the election material may be opened and no other bag be touched - photostat copies of Form-XV for all polling stations be prepared and duly certified by the District Judges," the order maintained.
The GEIC also issued directives to District Court Judges that the Form - XV for each constituency shall be packed in separate packets and sent to the commission. "In case Form-XV for any polling station is found missing or any seal of the aforementioned bags found broken, it shall be noted and reported accordingly," the GEIC order said. For tribal areas, the GEIC has given this task to the respective political agents in whose territorial jurisdiction a constituency falls, who shall be duly assisted by the election commissioner concerned.
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