Top leaders of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf have raised questions about impartiality and partisanship of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja.
The reservations from the members of the ruling party came after the failure of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold free and fair elections in the senate.
Taking to twitter, Federal minister of Human Rights of Pakistan Shireen Mazari took a dig at the CEC and said, “It is unfortunate that he is increasingly creating a partisan image of the ECP which erodes its credibility as well as credibility of future elections under its supervision.” The minister also lamented the CEC for being partial and added that “Instead of supporting PM IK & PTI’s demand for open ballot to ensure transparency in Senate elections, PDM’s opportunism & CEC’s partisan approach prevented fair, free and transparent Senate elections. CEC must take prime responsibility for this sorry state of electoral affairs.”
The minister also took a jibe at the opposition alliance Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), over its announcement to reject the election for chairman Senate in which government’s candidate Sadiq Sanjrani was declared as the winner and decided to challenge the results in a court, besides hinting at bringing a no-confidence motion against the newly-elected chairman. In her tweet, Ms Mazari said “For the PDM to now cry hoarse about Senate elections when earlier they applauded the obduracy of ECP & the CEC to ensure free, fair & transparent Senate elections despite SC judgment shows how self-interest overrides national interest on all counts.”
Jumping on the bandwagon, the Federal Minister for Science and Technology also took to twitter, warning ECP to mend its ways. In a tweet the minister said “If the Election Commission had fulfilled its responsibilities and passed the Supreme Court orders to hold transparent elections, the finger would not have been pointed at the Senate elections. Yes, change your behavior”.
Earlier, the 5-member larger bench of the Supreme Court (SC) headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmad in its recommendations to the ECP said, “It is the duty of the Election Commission of Pakistan to ensure that the election is conducted honestly, justly, fairly, and in accordance with law and that corrupt practices are guarded against”. The apex court also directed the ECP to take all available measures, “including utilizing technologies to fulfill the solemn constitutional duty to ensure that the election is ‘conducted honestly, justly, fairly and in accordance with law and that corrupt practices are guarded against’.” The SC, in essence, handed over the ECP an excellent opportunity to conduct elections through secret ballot but have the ballot identifiable, by not adhering to any of the SC’s directions, the ECP protected those criminals through the secret ballot.
Another PTI leader and member of the National Assembly (MNA) Aliya Hamza Malik, also took to twitter to express her dismay over ECP’s performance, and alleged the electoral body of being a facilitator of corrupt practices during the election. In her tweet, the MNA said “Chief Election Commissioner should answer for Ignoring Supreme Court directives on Senate elections; for waking up all night during Daska election to issue a favorable press release for PML-N; for inaction on Haider Gilani’s video release; for issuing a Press Release on PM’s statement. She further lamented the chief election commissioner and said that “You did not use your authority befittingly”.
The speculation around CEC Sikandar Sultan’ partiality is cemented by the fact that he is closely related with Saeed Mehdi (son in law) who has formerly served as the principal Secretary to the former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in 1999, and is also a close confidant of the PML-N supremo. Moreover, CEC is also the Brother in Law of Amir Mehdi, chairman of Capital Development Authority (CDA) and Chief Commissioner Islamabad. Sources claim that Amir Mehdi was apparently recommended for the post of CDA’s Chairman by his closest and the most powerful bureaucrat sitting in Islamabad.