Stamped ballot papers on roadside: Rehman Malik seeks report form IGPs, home secretaries

ISLAMABAD: Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Interior Senator Abdul Rehman Malik and Coordinator nominated by the Senate House to monitor security of General Elections, 2018 has written a letter to all inspectors general police (IGPs) and home secretaries to submit a comprehensive report on the stamped ballot papers of general elections, 2018 found on road sides, dust bins, drains and various class rooms.

In the letter, Rehman Malik writes, “It has been noted with grave concern in the media and by the general public that a large number of official ballot papers, duly stamped on election symbols of various political parties, which have been spotted along road sides, dust bins and in some class rooms which were earlier used by the election staff at polling stations. “These lose official ballot papers were also found outside the polling stations in other cities of the country as well,” he stated in a letter.

It is further stated in the letter that it is a matter of grave national concern that the official documents/ballot papers which were meant to be in the safe custody/possession of the staff of ECP/concerned government departments, have not been able to safeguard the ballot papers as per SOPs issued by the ECP.

Senator Rehman Malik writes that this situation has raised serious questions on general elections, 2018 and apparently, it looks that there is no justification of the said bunch of ballot papers found in such public places.

He says, “This shows the alleged irresponsible attitude of the ECP staff/concerned other staff who have failed to perform their official obligations allowing the ballot papers to go in the unauthorised hands. All IGPs and home secretaries are therefore directed to submit a comprehensive and consolidated report on the recovery of such stamped ballot papers in their respective jurisdictions and report on the above lines if they were stolen or it was an effort to make the general elections, 2018 disputed or some other motives.”

Rehman Malik has directed that the home secretaries should ensure to collect the requisite information in the form of a fully consolidated report and send to the Committee by 20th of August, 2018 as the Committee will look into the matter in its meeting scheduled to be held on 27th August, 2018.

Rehman Malik directed that in the meantime the matter may be examined by the secretary Law Division and proposed some additional legal course of action including criminal negligence against those who failed to protect the official documents/state property. “These unusual discoveries of the ballot papers on road sides, dust bins and public places show the failure to comply with the SOPs issued by the ECP for general elections, 2018," he stated in a letter.