The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has requested for the government’s “consent” to acquire the call data record (CDR) of the cell numbers of 20 presiding officers, who went ‘missing’ along with the ballot bags during the by-election held in NA-75 Daska.
ECP has already approached telecommunication regulator of Pakistan, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), as per the sources in the government, according to a private television channel. However, PTA has asked the government for a decision on whether or not it should provide the required information to the ECP.
As per the law, every government official, agency and authority is bound by the Constitution and the law to follow ECP orders with regard to its duty of holding free and fair elections. The election commission’s order cannot be ignored unless stayed or reversed by the Supreme Court.
Sources indicated that the government is impervious and is feeling “uneasy” about ECP’s latest move, which could possibly lead to unmasking those who had planned and supervised the Daska by-poll rigging. The call data can become a significant tool in unearthing the activities of the 20 ‘missing’ presiding officers, who disappeared for several hours after polling and the counting of votes instead of immediately reporting to the Returning Officer.
The ECP has already decided to refer the trial of the 20 presiding officers to a session court for their alleged involvement in the rigging of the Daska by-poll. In its press release on the day following the Daska by-poll, the ECP also unveiled that only the Punjab chief secretary was contacted once at 3am, but he, too, never got back to the ECP with information regarding the missing presiding officers. The IG Punjab, the commissioner and RPO Gujranwala, the concerned deputy commissioner and DPO were also contacted by the commission but none of these officers were available.
While nullifying the Daska by-poll, the ECP had summoned the chief secretary and IG Punjab on March 4, besides ordering the removal of the commissioner and RPO Gujranwala, and the suspension of the concerned deputy commissioner, DPO, two assistant commissioners and two DSPs. But, ECP is yet to decide whether inquiries against these officers will be conducted by it or referred to the federal and Punjab government.
