GEIC decides to record testimonies of three more ROs

The 2013 General Elections Inquiry Commission (GEIC) on Wednesday decided to record statements of three returning officers of National Assembly constituencies from where Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) candidates Captain Safdar (Retd), Khawaja Saad Rafique and Hamza Shahbaz won the elections.
The GEIC chairman Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk recorded testimonies of five returning officers from NA-34, NA-43, NA- 53, NA-118 and NA-222 whereas counsels of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and PML-N cross-examined the witnesses. After recording statements of all the five returning officers, the GEIC summoned returning officers of NA-21, NA-119 and NA-125 asking them to appear along with complete record of the respective constituencies.
The participants of the GEIC burst into laughter after returning officer of NA-34 Pir Baksh Shah said that consolidation of the polling result was not a child's play as he was not looking after every packing device personally. Shah said that as many as 308 polling stations were set up in NA-34, adding that he had retained 14 unopened bags of ballot papers while the remaining bags were distributed among the presiding officers.
He testified that the unopened bags were deposited in the treasury and expressed ignorance how many ballot papers were sent to presiding officers, besides details of used and unused ballot papers. Pir Baksh Shah further said that elections day was no less than a doomsday as the presiding officers had to face really tough time as all of them were engaged to undertake their official duty with full honesty.
Another witness Sohail Ahmed, assistant political agent Khar -Bajur Agency - Returning Officer of NA-43, Bajur FATA recorded his statement and said the Election Commission had determined the number of ballot papers as the constituency had total 1,68, 514 registered voters. He said that Bismillah Khan, an independent candidate emerged victorious from the constituency while Sahibzada Haroon Rashid of Jamat-e-Islami remained runner up. The other returning officers including Saeed Awan from NA-53, Nisar Ahmed from NA-118 and Moeen Bano from NA-222 also recorded their statements before the GEIC. Later, the GEIC adjourned the hearing till Thursday.