String-pullers of Daska by-polls rigging plan yet to be exposed

ISLAMABAD: Although the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has proceeded against the field officers and election staff involved in the Daska by-poll rigging, those who were pulling the strings from behind the scenes-- whether in Lahore or Islamabad -- have so far got away unscathed.

The ECP on Thursday declared the NA-75 by-election void and ordered a re-poll in the entire constituency on March 18.

Informed sources say that on election day – which witnessed complete lawlessness with the official machinery either acting as a mere spectator or assisting the violators -- a key member of the Punjab chief minister’s staff had been in constant contact with the concerned field officers: the commissioner, RPO, DC, DPO, AC, SDPO and others. These sources say that minute-to-minute instructions were being passed on to the field officers as well as to two civilian agencies whose officials were also allegedly involved in the rigging plan. These sources claim that the Intelligence Bureau and Special Branch were the agencies involved in the rigging.

The telephone record of the chief minister Punjab’s principal secretary, chief secretary, IG police, Gujranwala’s key police and civil officers, the sources say, would reveal who had been in contact with them from Islamabad.

The source says that despite the government exerting a lot of pressure on the ECP, it ignored all sorts of potential punitive measures and decided not only to nullify the Daska by-poll but suspend and initiate disciplinary proceedings against key administrative and police officials of Gujranwala Division.

Sources say that on March 4, when the chief secretary and IG police Punjab will appear before the ECP, they are likely to be asked about their non-availability to the Commission on election night. The ECP had been trying to call all concerned officers, including the CS and IG, on election day but no one was available. Only the chief secretary could be contacted once at 3 am but he too disappeared instead of explaining to the Commission where the 20 ‘missing’ presiding officers were.

Although the ECP’s bold NA-75 decision has gone far beyond the expectations of many, it is not clear who will probe deeper into the entire episode to unmask those pulling the strings of the civil administration and police.

To ensure free and fair elections, the ECP under the Election Act 2017 enjoys immense powers. Under the Constitution, all executive authorities in the federation and in the provinces are duty-bound to assist the ECP in the discharge of its function. No executive authority can ignore or defy any direction of the Commission. However, the Daska by-poll rigging and the conduct of the provincial administration showed the latter simply ignoring the ECP.

The Commission’s order, issued on Thursday, was a charge-sheet against the Punjab government. The ECP had stated in the order: “The arguments heard and record perused. From the perusal of available record produced by the parties, the returning officer as well as collected by the commission through different sources, we have come to the conclusion that conducive environment was not available for the candidates and voters of the constituency and the poll in the constituency has not been conducted honestly, justly, fairly and in a transparent manner, incidents of murders, firing, injuries, bad law and order situation, creating harassment to voters and other circumstances leading to make the process of result doubtful/unascertainable.”