Irregularities in general election 2018: Senate body to submit evidences to Parliamentary Commission

Senate Standing Committee on Interior on Friday recommended that all evidence gathered by it about the irregularities in general election 2018 must be submitted to the Parliamentary Commission to use it as guideline for further investigations.
The committee also recommended that members of this committee involved in the investigations may also be included in the parliamentary commission for their expertise and assistance. The meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior was held here on Friday in the chair of Rehman Malik. The committee took an overview of the investigation that was done by the committee.
He said that since investigative report has been submitted to the House and is part of the record, this committee would recommend that all evidence must be submitted to the parliamentary commission so that it can be used as guideline for further investigations.
He said that he would also recommend that members of this committee involved in the investigation may also be included in the parliamentary commission for their expertise and assistance. Malik appreciated the work of the organizations involved in the investigation, especially Ministry of Interior, Election Commission of Pakistan, National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) and others.
He revealed that there are certain grey areas which have been mentioned in the report. He said that the committee investigated RTS and RMS in detail and recommended that the forensic audit report received by the committee from NADRA and ECP should be further investigated through technical experts. He said that a letter has already been written to the Ministry of Interior in this regard; however, the committee is waiting for its response.
Malik said the "grey areas" which the committee has already pointed out and investigated included delay in election results, failure of the RTS housed in NADRA, issues related to the ECP's Result Management System (RMS), observations of the members on the RTS and RMS, the shortage or non-provision of Form 45, the ouster of polling agents from polling stations, number of rejected votes, failure of internet and telephone services in constituencies, breakdown of internet server at NADRA Headquarters, reservations of parliamentarians such as the posting and transfer of presiding and returning officers, and the recovery of stamped ballot papers from roadsides, dustbins and elsewhere.
Discussing the issues of RMS, Malik informed the committee that Kualitatem Inc, a company based in New York in collaboration with the UNDP, failed to inform the ECP in advance that the testing of the security of the system would be conducted by the EC Council in India.
He said that this aspect has been investigated in detail. He said that in addition to the above, Forms 45 at 92,000 polling stations were not signed. Out of a total of 84000, 40,000 presiding officers did not comply with the ECP's criteria.
He further stated that approximately 4,500 presiding officers did not possess mobile phones consequently they did not have access to RMS and RTS facility. According to the Election Act, 2017, all polling stations must have been monitored by CCTV cameras but there was a clear violation of this law since the ECP informed the committee that due to unavoidable circumstances all stations could not be manned and monitored by this system, Malik added.
Malik informed the committee that the investigations were divided into four parts that included technical aspects, formulation of TORs, preamble and information from political parties. He said that the first three parts have been completed; however, the fourth part still remains incomplete. He said that since the Commission has been formed; he does not consider it ethically correct to pursue this matter anymore.
While appreciating the input of every member of the committee, Senator Azam Khan Swati insisted that forensic audit is imperative to prove transparency of these elections. He recommended that the committee must recommend suspension of Chairman NADRA Usman Mobin, DG Projects, Zulfiqar Ali and DG Operations, Nasar Ahmed Mir immediately.
Senator Chaudhry Tanvir inquired about the action taken against the NADRA officers and said that the issue of 40,668 forms must be thoroughly investigated. Malik said that the voice command is being investigated and a sound clip has already been sent to the ECP.
The ECP informed the committee that the sound clip has already been sent for investigation. The chairman committee directed the ECP that result for the investigations must be submitted within three days. Senator Asad Ali Khan Junejo strongly opposed the suggestion of suspension of the NADRA officers.
He said that without proving allegations no such measures must be taken. He further stated that in order to investigate security logs, there must be more than one company on the panel so that the Commission can select a company from within.
He said that it is extremely important to know what happened at 11:47 pm. He said that the caretaker setup must be answerable as well. Malik directed that the committee would like to know who was giving directions not to use RTS at 11:47 pm. The meeting commenced with a resolution moved by chairman committee which was unanimously passed and adopted by the committee.
While strongly condemning the threats by the Indian Army Chief, Malik stressed that the committee feels that it is sheer disrespect shown against Pakistan. The resolution said: "The Senate Standing Committee on Interior strongly condemns the threats by Indian Army Chief, General Bipin Rawat and the undiplomatic response of India by declining foreign ministers' meeting with Pakistan in New York.
"The committee feels it is sheer disrespect shown against Pakistan and it also clearly indicates the inimical & non-cooperative mindset of India to opt not to proceed with peace process but confronting policy. The committee calls upon the international community to take notice of the membership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi being member of the RSS - a terrorist organization. The committee also condemns the Indian brutalities in occupied Kashmir."
The meeting was attended by Senators Javed Abbasi, Mian Muhammad Ateeq Shaikh, Muhammad Azam Khan Swati, Chaudhary Tanvir Khan and Asad Ali Khan Junejo, and senior officers from the Ministry of Interior, National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).