saturday, 6 November, 2021 I 30 rabi-ul-Awwal, 1443 I rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 128 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition
RepoRt finds election officials, police Responsible foR daska by-poll fiasco
iSlAmAbAd stAff report
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report released on Friday by the Election Commission of Pakistan on the February by-poll in Daska’s NA75 constituency has concluded that election officials, police and the local administration failed to play their “designated role in the requisite manner and were found [to be] puppets in the hands of their unlawful masters” during the by-election. The controversial by-election was marred by violence, rigging and the disappearance of over 20 presiding officers (POs) and subsequently, a fact-finding inquiry was launched to probe into the irregularities. Subsequently, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had withheld the results of the February 19 by-poll and ordered reelection in the entire constituency after suspicion that the results may have been falsified. The order was later upheld by the Supreme Court. A by-poll was held in the constituency in April, with PML-N’s Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar winning the contest by securing 110,075 votes against Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s Ali Asjad Malhi, who had bagged 93,433. According to the inquiry report, it seemed that “a constant observatory force drove or
goaded” presiding officers, who failed to perform their duties during the by-poll. The report — submitted by Punjab Joint Election Commissioner Saeed Gul to the Election Commission of Pakistan secretary — said the statement given by the 20 POs who were “forcefully taken to some unknown places invoked the point that … facts were being concealed by the POs”. It noted that while the said POs blamed police for the irregularities reported during the by-poll, “their statements can never justify their negligence and maladministration”. “In fact, their manipulated replies in the investigation of [them] being taken to unknown places and any interaction or forceful approach by someone further aired the suspicion that they were vindicated or backed up by someone,” the report says. It further stated that senior assistant presiding officers (SAPOs) also supported this suspicion. “Statement of SAPOs exposed that one PO willingly took the tamper evident bag with him in a shopping bag.” The report stated: “Circumstantial evidence, written statements of some POs, SAPOs, most of the drivers and very few of the police personnel and CDR data from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority clearly prove that aforesaid POs, under
coRonaviRus in
pakistan
some planned scheme, left their respective polling stations in private vehicles and reached Sialkot by staying first at Qila Kalar Wala Police Station/ Satra Police Station, office of the DSP, Pasrur and Mundeke etc. around after nearly 08:30pm.” “They remained at some unknown building situated at Shahabpura/Ugoke Road near Zohra Hospital [in Sialkot] for more than seven hours and after that they were transported in the police security to [the] office of the RO at Jaisarwala,” it said. “Before reaching their destination, all the POs were shifted in police vans from a Toyota Hiace.” It was also noted in the inquiry report that very few POs had managed to send the results of their respective polling stations through WhatsApp or submit original results. Moreover, the inquiry revealed that Daska Deputy Education Officer Farkhanda Yasmeen had held a meeting with POs at her house, where the latter were instructed to “favour the government in the said byelection, allow the voters to cast their votes on copies of NIC (national identity card), act upon the guidelines received from [her] during polling and not to bother about the law and order situation if [it] turned untoward”. “These disclosed facts convincingly take us to the point that [the] mishap in the byelection not just involves the negligence or maladministration of the POs. It was a preplanned scam that could not be possible without the reinforcement from their controlling departments while they also paved the path for other persons’ involvement in this wicked game,” the report said. The inquiry also found that 17 POs had requested an exemption from by-election duties. When the requests were scrutinised, “it was surprisingly revealed that handwriting on all TCS (Tranzum Courier Service) envelopes [containing the requests] was same that created further doubts”. Later, TCS confirmed that the requests were sent on the same day from three different TCS centres in Sialkot, which meant “that those requests were managed by someone sitting in Sialkot who deliberately acted to hamper the by-election process and managed to induct his/their own blueeyed ones”, the report said.
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Govt has asked banned TTP to lay down arms, surrender: say Taliban sources PESHAWAR Agencies
The PTI-led government has asked the banned Tehreek-eTaliban Pakistan (TTP) to lay down their arms and surrender, sources within the Afghan Taliban informed media on Friday. According to the sources, Afghan Taliban commander Sirajuddin Haqqani is playing a key role in ceasefire talks and is working to make negotiations between the PTI-led government and the banned outfit a success. Per the sources, chief of the banned TTP Mufti Noor Wali is leading the talks from the group’s side. The banned outfit has maintained that it would be “too early to” lay down arms and has demanded the government release their members from prison. The government has not reacted to the demands of the banned outfit yet, the Afghan Taliban sources said, adding that negotiations could be successful if strong guarantors are
ADB to provide $0.3m to Pakistan to phase out coal plants
CONFIRMED CASES:
1,275,673
NEW CASES:
11
515
RECOVERED:
471,205
440,788
KPK:
BALOCHISTAN:
178,427 AJK/GB: 34,491/10,392
33,307 ISLAMABAD:
107,063
Uplift of marginalised segments of society govt’s top priority: PM
STORY ON PAGE 02
NA-133 by-polls: Election Tribunal rejects appeals of disqualified PTI candidates
1,224,425 28,507 PUNJAB:
more inside
PM Khan defends hike in Petroleum products prices yet again
DEATHS:
SINDH:
CONTINUED ON PAGE 03
STORY ON BACK PAGE
LAST UPDATED AT 9:49 AM ON NOVEMBER 5, 2021
DAY'S DEATH TOLL:
provided and the outfit’s conditions are accepted. They added that while some factions of the banned TTP are in favour of holding talks with the Pakistani government, others are still taking a hardline approach. PAkIsTAN IN TAlks wITh TTP fAcTIoNs for DIsArMAMENT: PM IMrAN khAN It should be recalled that last month, Prime Minister Imran Khan had admitted that his government was in disarmament talks with some factions of the banned TTP as Pakistan sought stability in the country in the backdrop of a fast-evolving situation in Afghanistan. PM Imran Khan, speaking to TRT World’s Ali Mustafa in Islamabad, said: “I think some of the Pakistani Taliban groups actually want to talk to our government. You know, for some peace, for some reconciliation.” When asked to confirm whether Pakistan is actually in talks with the TTP, the premier had clarified to say that talks are ongoing “with some of them”.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has announced the grant of $300,000 to Pakistan to undertake pre-feasibility study for early retirement of coal and fossil fuel plants under the Energy Transition Mechanism, a news outlet reported on Friday. According to the report, the bank announced the funds for Pakistan at COP26 summit in Glasgow. “We have a clear climate direction now. By 2030 we aim to shift to 60 percent renewable energy and 30 percent electric vehicles and completely ban imported coal. We are opting for nature-based solutions with our Recharge Pak-
istan, Protected Areas Initiative, and 10 Billion Tree Tsunami Programme. It’s a nature positive pathway,” explained Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam. The bank is providing such assistance to four Asian countries namely Pakistan, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines. The bank has also assisted the government in the development of the Alternative and Renewable Energy Policy 2021, which reinforced the government’s commitment to achieve a renewable energy capacity of 30 percent by 2030. news desk
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Proper economic plan, political will to regain lost economic glory: Shaukat Tarin STORY ON PAGE 03