Based on the rigging evidences, the judicial commission will ascertain as to what extent independent were the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) in conducting the 2013 general election.
This was stated by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan while speaking to media persons outside the Supreme Court, here on Monday. Imran attended the proceedings of the judicial commission that is mandated to probe rigging allegations along with his lawyers and some PTI leaders.
"The judicial commission isn't for Imran Khan rather it will help strengthen democracy in Pakistan," he said, adding that the commission would also ascertain whether the ECP and Nadra were independent or not. He said that more documents had been submitted to the commission that Nadra could have presented much earlier. "Our lawyer will examine the documents submitted by the election commission and then take part in the proceedings of the commission on the basis of these documents," he added.
Imran said that independent institutions were beauty of democracy but the monarchs tried to manipulate the autonomous institutions through their influence and power. About the Supreme Court's decision on Khawaja Saad Rafique's petition, he said the court had just granted a stay order and the case was yet to be decided. "PML-N is trying to mislead people about the verdict of the election tribunal but they won't succeed," he said.
Imran said that ECP should have taken action against the Returning and Presiding Officers found guilty of rigging. "How the election commission can take action against the returning and presiding officers when it itself is involved in the rigging," he claimed. He said that Pakistanis would never see real democracy if persons involved in the rigging were not punished. "Returning and Presiding Officers were doing all this for fun that's what we are being told by the N-league," he said.