Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has held the returning officer (RO) and treasury officer (TO) concerned responsible for errors and lapses in deposition and maintenance of election record of NA-110, where Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif succeeded in the last general election.

Usman Dar of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, who bagged 71,525 votes in the general election 2013, had challenged in the Election Tribunal the incumbent defence minister’s victory with 92,803 votes.

However, the tribunal decided the case against him, after which he moved the Supreme Court.

Currently, counterfoils of NA-110 Sialkot – with respect to polling station number 132 – are missing, and out of five missing polling bags, counterfoils of polling stations number 118 and 121 are still missing.

ECP Secretary Babar Yaqoob Fateh – in pursuance of the apex court’s order – submitted an instant compliance report.

The report exonerated the presiding officer concerned, whose polling record was missing, after the findings of an inquiry committee.

According to the report submitted by ECP, the statements and sequence of events established that the presiding staff had sealed the votes and election-related forms, etc, properly and handed the same over to the RO, which was accepted without any observation. “The presiding officer stands exonerated of any lapse.”

The report further stated that the TO and the RO committed errors due to lack of focus on details. It added that there was a lapse on part of the RO where he should have deposited the polling bags in the treasury against a detailed inventory list – accounting for each bag – during the initial deposition after the election.

The report further stated that shifting and re-shifting of polling bags should have been done in a more diligent manner and strictly in accordance with the inventory list.

It said that the district treasury officer, who had not held a detailed record, needed to be held accountable.

“TO Asghar Mahar… needs to be summoned to clarify the procedure according to which he received the bags in the treasury in the absence of a detailed inventory.”

“Apparently there is a lapse on part of treasury officials while accepting all polling bags and other election material in bulk…,” the report further said.

The report also mentioned that the inquiry committee, constituted to probe the matter of missing polling material, observed that necessary instructions regarding deposition and maintenance of polling record were not followed in true spirit.

The ECP submitted that in the light of recommendations of the inquiry officers, the Lahore High Court registrar and the Lahore accountant general had been requested to initiate action against the then RO and TO under the relevant rules. The top court will resume hearing of the case today (Thursday).