Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf lawyer Abdul Hafeez Pirzada Wednesday objected to Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid-e-Azam's request of summoning Returning Officers in 'General Elections Inquiry Commission' for cross examination. The three-member commission headed by Chief Justice Nasir-ul-Mulk has earlier sought some time for deliberation over the request. Chief Justice directed representatives of all political parties and their respective witnesses to be present next week as the commission wants to complete the process by the end of next week.
"The request of calling Returning Officers (in the enquiry commission) can complicate the process in presence of the media," Pirzada said. If the Returning Officers could dispatch Form-16 for perusal of the commission, then there is no need to summon them in person, he said.
PML-N lawyer Shahid Hamid said that consolidation of election results after two to three days after the polling becomes important only if the margin of victory is small. PML-Q lawyer Dr Khalid Ranjha had urged the court to summon the ROs of at least eight constituencies including Sargodha, Gujrat, Sheikhupura and Kasur for cross examination. "Systematic rigging was done in the elections through Returning Officers as they did not notify respective candidates at time of consolidation of the results," he said.
The commission had, however, sought time to ponder over the request as the judges were of the view that a notification for all contesting candidates is also pasted at a board besides announcing it on electronic and print media. On Wednesday, the lawyers of PTI, PML-N and Election Commission of Pakistan Advocate Salman Akram Raja cross examined the witnesses from Printing Corporation of Pakistan and election commission.
Muhammad Salman, deputy manager at Printing Corporation of Pakistan, was cross examined by the ECP, PTI and PML-N lawyers. To a question from Salman Akram Raja, he said that destruction of waste ballot papers took place under supervision of Pak army. To questions from Hafeez Pirzada, he said that the print from 1.5 to 2.5 percent extra ballot papers for each constituency to meet the exact requirement as some of the ballot papers are later destroyed for certain errors in the printing or ink applied. Salman said that his organisation did receive manpower from the election commission for help in the printing process and they all were relieved after the printing of all the ballot papers was done.
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