Daily Times

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Senator Muhammad Azam Khan Swati, on Saturday, presented a detailed report to Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on the alleged failure of Result Transmission System (RTS) on the day of the general election.

Swati, in an hour long meeting with the new PM, suggested that PM Khan should suspend National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) Chairman Usman Mobeen. According to a statement issued by PTI’s central media department, the senator believed that a transparent probe was not possible in the presence of the NADRA chairman. Following general elections this year, the PTI had formed a fact finding committee headed by Senator Swati to look into the alleged failure of the RTS. Earlier this month, the PTI had also demanded that a probe be carried out to ascertain the causes behind the alleged failure of the RTS on Election Day.

During the meeting, the PM asked Swati to consult with forensic experts before publishing the report and assured him of all of his cooperation.

Swati also briefed the prime minister regarding the functioning of the Ministry of Science and Technology. He told the prime minister that hundreds of the people had been recruited by the ministry on political bases. Swati briefed PM Khan on the massive embezzlement and violations of rules in the ministry and presented evidence of the alleged corruption by ministry’s senior officials. In a call-to-attention notice submitted to the Senate Secretariat, PTI Senator Azam Khan Swati asked for an investigation to be launched to fix responsibility of the alleged malfunction of the RTS system on July 25. Swati recommended that the inquiry also ascertain whether the alleged failure had an impact on the election results. Three FATA senators, two ex-MNAs join PTI

Meanwhile, three senators from the Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA) and two former members of the National Assembly (MNAs) announced, on Saturday, that they would be joining Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI). Senators Aurangzeb Khan, Sajjad Toru and Momin Khan and former MNAs Nasir Khan and Mirza Muhammad Ayub called on PM Imran Khan on Saturday and expressed confidence in his vision. A press release by PTI’s media wing said that PM Khan welcomed all the leaders to the party.

Published in Daily Times, August 26^th 2018.