Rigging probe: Govt, opposition fail to evolve consensus on ToRs

ISLAMABAD: The sub-committee of parliamentary committee on probing rigging allegations in the general elections 2018 on Friday submitted its report, stating that the consensus on terms of references between the treasury and opposition benches couldn’t be reached, ARY News reported.

The opposition had proposed the 10-point ToRs and one-point ToR was floated by the government, but both the sides failed to evolve consensus on it. The sub-committee held four meetings last year on Nov 14, Nov 21, Dec 3, and Dec 13.

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

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

According to the ToR proposed by the government, “the parliamentary committee shall hold an inquiry to determine that the Election Commission organised and conducted the general elections 2018 honestly, justly, fairly and in accordance with the law…”

Among the ToRs mooted by the opposition, one of them said: “Why did the result transmission system fail on the election day. Its operation, procurement and transmission be explained.”

Here are the ToRs proposed by both the sides.

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 hue and cry of the opposition.

The committee comprises thirty parliamentarians including 21 members from the lower house, [National Assembly] and nine from the upper house, [Senate]. According to a notification issued by the National Assembly Secretariat, the parliamentary committee would be responsible for finalising the terms of reference (ToRs) to initiate probe into allegations of rigging.

On Nov 7, a 30-member parliamentary committee had unanimously appointed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Pervez Khattak to chair the committee formed in order to probe into the alleged rigging in 2018 General Polls.

However on Nov 10, the main committee formed a sub-committee headed by Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood to finalise terms of reference (ToR) for it.