The opposition lawmakers in the Senate on Monday demanded to form a parliamentary commission to probe into failure of Result Transmission System (RTS) in order to clear the rigging controversy in the recently held general election once for all. Speaking on an admitted adjournment motion moved by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Javed Abbasi, the opposition senators blamed Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for the failure of RTS system, which ultimately resulted in poll results controversy.
However, the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said that there should be a forensic audit of the RTS system, saying it was willfully collapsed by National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) chairman to benefit the PML-N.
Senator Azam Khan Swati questioned the appointment of NADRA Chairman Usman Mumbeen, saying he was handpicked by then Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan by violating the merit in order to ensure rigging for the PML-N in July 25 general election.
"I demand my own party government to hold a probe into RTS system, and grill chairman NADRA, as the RTS system was under the control of NADRA and the ECP. The parliamentary commission won't the serve any purpose so forensic audit is the only solution," he contended.
Senator Rehman Malik of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) said that RTS system was shut down intentionally. He called upon the government to constitute a technical committee to probe shutdown of election results software on the polling day.
He also played an audio tape on the floor of the House in which an unknown official could be heard directing concerned authorities to compile the poll results manually as RTS system had shut down.
Malik said that the Senate had entrusted the Standing Committee on Interior with looking after the elections proceedings, and as the country's Prime Minister Imran Khan is obliged to assist the committee in its probe.
The committee had asked the Election Commission of Pakistan to investigate the failure of RTS, identify those responsible and suggest action against them, adding it is in the national interest to probe the RTS collapse and asked for directives to be issued to the Cabinet Division at the earliest to form a technical committee to probe into the matter.
Senator Raza Rabbani of PPP said that Pakistani establishment never wanted a free and fair election in the country which, according to him, could be harmful for the federation. He said that the time has come that both establishment and all other stakeholder must identify which governance system suits the country.
"The powerful establishment never accepted the peoples' rule and supremacy of Parliament. And this was the reason the constitution was kept in abeyance from time to time. The Article 58 2(b) was used by the establishment to weaken the Parliament, but when it was abolished, they brought in their puppets and now we must ensure supremacy of Parliament," he added.
He said that by introducing e-voting for overseas Pakistanis, stage is being set for rigging in the next general elections, saying, "How can you ensure voting rights through e-voting facility to 7.6 million overseas Pakistan when you simply cannot fix the RTS system?"
To this, Deputy Chairman Senate Saleem Mandviwalla asked Rabbani whether there is a possibility to review the Elections Act, 2017. Rabbani promptly responded in affirmative.
Senator Mushahidullah Khan, the parliamentary leader of PML-N in Senate, came down hard on ruling PTI, saying it is not the elected government rather it was imposed on the people of Pakistan and there is no reason to call it a democratically elected government.
PTI Senators Faisal Javed Khan, Chaudhry Sarwar and Mohsin Aziz strongly reacted to accusations made against the party and said that PML-N must not forget its past as it was this very political party which had refused to reopen only four constituencies back in 2013.
"The ECP was installed by you, and all other institutions were under your control, but even then you lost. You cry out foul because you were given a humiliating defeat by the PTI, as this time around umpire was impartial which did not suit you [PML-N], as PML-N has a history of playing with the support of an umpire," retorted Faisal.
Senator Pervaiz Rashid of PML-N said that there should be reelections in the country as enough has been written about July 25 elections' controversy which is in no way good for the image of the country.
In his first speech, he said that the Prime Minister should have announced a parliamentary panel to probe into election rigging, adding the PML-N still demands that parliamentary commission with full administrative and economic powers should be formed to look into rigging allegations.
Winding up the debate, Leader of the House Senator Shibli Faraz said that the mission of Prime Minister Imran Khan is fulfilled as he gave awareness to the nation about the poll rigging which has destroyed the whole electoral system of the country.
He said that the electoral reforms committee should be reconstituted, adding both Speaker National Assembly and Chairman Senate should look into the matter whether a parliamentary commission could be formed or not and what could be the terms of reference (ToRs) for the panel. The session was prorogued sine die.
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