Army and ECP supervised printing of ballot papers, commission told

ISLAMABAD: Three more witnesses on Friday recorded their statements before an inquiry commission investigating allegations of rigging in May 2013 general elections and pointed out that the process of printing of ballot papers was carried out under the supervision of army and representatives of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). During proceedings of the commission, former managing director of the Printing Corporation Pakistan Musa Raza Afandi, former manager PCP Lahore Muhammad Rafiq and Managing Director Pakistan Post Foundation Ijaz Ahmad recorded their statements.

The counsels of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) completed cross-examination of the witnesses. The commission issued notices to three more witnesses to appear before it on Monday (May 18). The witnesses include former chief election commissioner Sindh SM Tariq Qadri, Manager Pakistan Printing Corporation Karachi Muzaffar Ali Chandio and Managing Director Pakistan Security Printing Corporation Rizwan Ahmed.

During the proceedings, Musa Raza Afandi said that the Election Commission of Pakistan on April 19, 2013 gave assignment to PCP for printing of ballot papers.

He said that PCP printed 109,158,600 ballot papers for seven National Assembly and five provincial assembly seats.

To a query about hiring of skilled manpower, he said that PCP did not seek any manpower but the PSPC did hire services of 34 individuals, out of 78 people for numbering and binding of ballot papers.

He said that printing of ballot papers and other work was done under tight security. He said that manpower was hired through managers and approval in this regard was made under special circumstances. During the cross-examination by PML-N counsel Shahid Hamid, Afandi said that the Islamabad press had started the delivery of ballot papers on May 2, 2013 and completed the task on May 9, 2013. He said that paper used for ballot was not available anywhere in the country. On a question from ECP lawyer Salman Akram Raja, he said that it was a usual practice to make short-term hiring for numbering of ballot papers. He said that at the time of delivery of ballot papers to designated persons, apart from ECP, army personnel were also present on the occasion.