Probe into General Elections rigging allegations on back burner

ISLAMABAD: The probe into alleged rigging in the general elections 2018 has been put to back burner due to lack of interest demonstrated by the treasury as well as the opposition sides, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

The government had announced the parliamentary committee after the opposition’s protest over alleged rigging in general elections.

A sub-committee of the parliamentary committee to inquire into rigging allegations in its report to the main committee that the treasury and opposition failed to reach over consensus on terms of reference (ToRs).

The sub-committee held four sessions but failed to break the stalemate over the ToRs in its meetings last year on Nov 14, Nov 21, Dec 3, and Dec 13.

Minister for Federal Education Shafqat Mehmood was the convener of the sub-committee and Fawad Chaudhry, Rana Sanaullah, Syed Naveed Qamar, Abdul Wasay, Senator Muhammad Ali Saif, Senator Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo and Senator Sarfraz Ahmed Bugti were other members.

It is to mention here that Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI), a component of the committee, has already boycotted the probe.

The parliamentary committee could not meet for a single scheduled monthly meeting in February.
The opposition had proposed 10-point ToRs and the government side float a one-point ToR but both the sides failed to evolve consensus on it.

The sub-committee concluded that the both the sets of ToRs will now be presented before the main committee for consideration.

On October 15, the government had announced the formation of “Parliamentary Committee on General Elections 2018” to probe alleged rigging in the general elections after the opposition complained massive rigging in the polls.

The committee comprises thirty parliamentarians including 21 members from the National Assembly and nine from the Senate.

On Nov 7, the parliamentary committee had unanimously appointed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Pervez Khattak to chair the committee.