Rebuttal to Zahid Ibrahim's 10 Myths about Elections

[Leader]

Rebuttal to Zahid Ibrahim's 10 Myths about Elections

Zahid Sb – honestly it seems to be a very biased article – ECP should have stepped above and beyond to allay doubts of any election rigging – but with this article it seems the neutrality to conduct a free and fair elections was never there – if this was the mindset from Day 1 – to appease, the powers to be, to give a semblance of free and fair elections, then I’m suspicions

I truly respect you and your father, to date I believe he is an honest person but his appointment, with respect to his age, probably was the factor which failed Pakistan, he could not forcibly orchestrate and deliver a free and fair elections – this job required a commander that would whip, snap and beat the life out of any who so much as stumbled in performing his duties to conduct a free and fair elections in Pakistan – I do not challenge your honesty or integrity on a personal level, I am aware you, your father and your family have sacrificed a lot this past year – but as the voice of ECP from this article, I raise my own concerns

1. The ECP was given a mandate to conduct a Free & Fair elections – that means 100% free & fair, and nothing less, for you to argue that 73% cases have been dismissed (in 14 months post elections – should have been 120 days) and that being acknowledged as a success story, seems that you delivered 73% free and fair elections and not the promised 100% – and you go on to congratulate yourself for having done better than the previous elections – when such statements emanate from the ECP authority – its seems like it was a half-half election – we weren’t shooting for 100% we’re happy with 75%
2. You don’t mention in your article about the highly acclaimed MAGNETIC INK promise – it was to be your holy grail, primary counter check to conduct a free and fair elections, but someone along the lines bungled up and seems like, by you not mentioning this gaff, seems that you are convinced the blame is on NADRA and not ECP and you have delivered a free and fair elections to Pakistan
3. You don’t mention that the cost of scrutiny of papers was deliberately set exhorbitantly high that it was more as a deterrent for any candidate to pursue a full scrutiny – In my opinion a transparent ECP would have chosen to “waive the fee” where such issues may have been suspected, even if just to publicly allay doubts of election rigging – even maybe selectively choosing probably 30 or so hotly contested seats to scrutinize to set an example that ECP “wants” to be free and fair – but nothing as such happened – it seems the fee was meant to hide NADRA’s flaws – those affording candidates who could dig deep into their pockets for the exorbitant fees (Hamid Zaman spends Rs. 57,00,000, Zubair Khan & Jahangir Tareen) each case actually exposed NADRA and the magnetic ink flaws. No mention of that in your article, yet you argue that ECP conducted a Free and Fair elections, and the calls by PTI are baseless and unfounded
4. You don’t mention the so -called missing / abducted / kidnapped Returning Officers or Presiding officers in various polling stations all across Karachi – The missing ballot boxes, The missing stamps, the missing ballot papers, in KARACHI – it didn’t happen behind closed doors, it happened in broad daylight – not only in NA-250, it happened throughout Karachi – people of Karachi were a witness to it – you know it as you too witnessed it personally, as a re-poll was ordered in Hampton School Polling Station where you and your father voted. Not even a fleeting mention in the article shedding some doubts on what happened in Karachi? but instead a picture painted that ECP conducted free and fair elections
5. You don’t mention that the argument presented by PTI and Imran Khan is mostly against the Returning officers, to have fudged the results – the tribunals appointment that you talk about is “after” the elections – the challenge by Imran Khan is mostly on the doctoring of votes by the RO’s
6. You don’t even so much as fleetingly acknowledge the typo error on Nawaz Sharif’s constituency – a typo mistake of thousands
7. You dont mention as to why the tribunals are withholding the cases of the FOUR seats – if the govt has no powers – the judicial commission in cahoots with ECP is to be blamed for the delay? – stay orders are been issued to slow the proceedings, by the respondents, – stay orders though a legal right – but a case being dragged through court for over 14 months? Suspicion must be raised as to who is involved – here the blame lies on ECP / Tribunals & the govt for deliberately delaying for the fear it may open a pandoras box against them.
8. You forget to mention – that PTI and Imran Khan challenged only FOUR seats – not 19, not 58, and not 70 seats the intention as you may choose not to understand, was NOT to destabilize the govt, as four seats is just a drop in the ocean, the intention was to find flaws in the system and fix it for the benefit of future elections in Pakistan – FOUR seats do NOT destabilize a govt and neither four seats will make him the Prime Minister – yet the four seats being challenged was like the elephant in the room no one wanted to touch for the year it may bite, even you justify / defend it a a minor acceptable hiccup, yet convinced that the ECP delivered a Free and Fair elections
9. Afghanistan is a brilliant example of how an election that has been challenged and the Election commission is scrutinizing each and every vote - this is what an independent ECP should have done, not cover-up its own flaws. India another prime example, a billion voters, a month long elections but no major hiccups of the election voting process, we here are talking about only a free and transparent voting process

In my opinion as a Pakistani, the ECP should have delivered a free and fair elections “perceivable” to the people of Pakistan - when there are abundant questions, each candidate & each party will challenge the integrity of the ECP to have conducted or have not conducted free and fair elections, thats the reality

You choose instead to attack a party that has used all avenues to fix this system, the ECP, the tribunals, the SCP, the Parliament all have turned away from fixing this system, we now just upped the anti – to the dislike of many “comfortable with the Free and Fair Voting process” it has been our conviction from day 1, if the elections system in Pakistan is not fixed now, the next elections will be exactly the same, why are you so fearful of finding flaws within the ECP and trying to fix them for the future of your children.

One day I hope for the sake of Pakistan we could have a genuinely Free and Fair elections – a dream – a distant dream specially when people like Justice Fakhruddin Ibrahim flounder and accept this as the best possible — im at a loss for words. Hence Azadi March has to be for the Azadi of Pakistan.

Ab nahin tau Kab, Hum Nahin tau kon


Rebuttal to Zahid Ibrahim's 10 Myths about Elections By Awab Alvi

 

[W.11]

cartoon and immature idiot called awab alvi the dentist would rebuttal an advocate of supreme court , where is hamid khan etc?

https://twitter.com/x/status/492594171153100800

 

[W.11]

Rebuttal to Zahid Ibrahim's 10 Myths about Elections

you guys your own rigging photos in your white paper etc, this picture is from narowal where PTI did this

 

[Leader]

you guys your own rigging photos in your white paper etc, this picture is from narowal where PTI did this

 

[Jazzbot]

Some valid points there. Here is my take on Rebutting these 10 myths about Electoral Rigging:

1) Election tribunals have failed to decide cases — Around 410 election petitions were filed by losing candidates before the 14 election tribunals established across the country. As of last month, 292 petitions, i.e., 73 per cent of all cases, have already been decided by election tribunals. This is unprecedented when compared with the disposal rate of election tribunals in previous elections.

Why Election Tribunals are holding back the petitions of these 4 constituencies? And why Lahore High Court (Perfect Noora Court) is issuing stay orders after stay orders to delay decision on these 4 constituencies?

On top of that, all election tribunals were bound to solve all the election related petitions within 4 months after elections. 14 fking months are gone, still around 27% cases are pending. Good going.

2) Judges of election tribunals were appointed under a faulty process by a biased Election Commission of Pakistan — In previous elections, high court judges were burdened with the responsibility to decide petitions after completing their usual day’s work. Now, election tribunals are manned by retired judges, whose only work is to decide election cases. The ECP did not appoint these judges. Each of the election tribunal judges were proposed by the respective chief justices of the provincial high courts.

That is a good thing, no one has said anything against Election Tribunal judges.

3) Election tribunals are purposely going slow — It is correct that election tribunals were not able to meet the 120-day deadline to decide cases. One reason for the delay is the attitude of many losing candidates. Take for example the case of petition number 344 of 2013, Usman Dar vs Khawaja Asif. In its decision, the tribunal wrote: “The way the petitioner avoided to enter the witness box and disregarded the directions of this tribunal on the pretext of business tour abroad, provides a basis to infer that he was/is no more interested in the matter. Costs of adjournments to the tune of Rs30,000/- have not been paid by the petitioner till date. It appears that after filing the election petition, the petitioner lost interest in the election dispute and then attempted to prolong the trial … the petitioner failed to prove the allegations … (and) the election petition is found to be without any merit and is accordingly dismissed … .”

All Election Tribunals were bound to finish all election related petitions within 120 days timeline at any cost. Today more than 14 months are gone. Did anyone ask from Election Tribunals, ECP about this dismal performance?

Cherry picking one case from 100s of petitions and using it for your own agenda isn't gonna work. If you are to cherry pick then allow us to do so as well.

Why on earth NA-122 is being delayed again and again by Election Tribunals and Lahore High Court together? Lahore High Court even went on to break all records by issuing stay orders after stay orders on NA-122 petition.

Na-122 which is of Speaker National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq:

LHC issues stay order (5th Nov, 2013)
NA-122 recount: LHC stays tribunal proceedings – The Express Tribune

LHC again issues stay order (16th May, 2014)
LHC extends stay on Ayaz Sadiq’s petition against NA-122 recount

If speaker of a national assembly is living at stay orders, then what credibility elections have?

After all the struggle, PTI managed to open only 6 polling stations in NA-122 (PP-147 which is under NA-122). Here is what unearthed:

Any answers to this? If Speaker of your National Assembly is surviving at stay orders, then what is the credibility of your election and Assemblies? In 14 freaking months, election tribunals have failed miserably to do Justice to voters of Na-122..

4) If election tribunals decided the PTI’s cases, the PML-N government would collapse — The PTI candidates filed a total of 58 petitions challenging National and provincial assembly elections in various constituencies. Of these, 39 petitions, i.e., 70 per cent have already been decided by the election tribunals. Unfortunately for the PTI, none of the 39 cases were successful. Now, only 19 PTI petitions remain to be decided. Even if each of these is decided in the PTI’s favour, it will not dent the overall election result.

1) None of 4 constituencies PTI is demanding has been opened for votes verification as of yet.

2) PML-n govt should pack its bags and sent home even if rigging is caught in one constituency. ECP promised 100% free and fair elections. We do no want even 90%, or 50% fair elections.

We have recounted results of NA-256 were some 57000+ votes were found fake: 57,642 bogus votes cast in NA-256 Karachi: NADRA – The Express Tribune

We have NA-122, about which I've already posted above.

We have NA-118, only 68 out of 250+ polling station's results were checked. Some 30 thousand out of 45 thousand votes were found fake: Electoral fraud: NADRA finds rigging in records of NA-118 – The Express Tribune

NA-250, were massive rigging was caught, elections were declared null and void and re-elections were held. This is the only seat PTI won from Karachi in re-elections.

All above are enough to send the credibility of elections 2013, ECP and Returning Officers down the drain.

5) Election tribunals are favouring the PML-N — Thus far, 10 elected parliamentarians of the PML-N have been unseated by the election tribunals. This is the highest number of decisions against any political party. Judgments in only two petitions have gone against PTI candidates. Independent candidates are the biggest winners thus far with eight cases in their favour, followed by the PPP at six.

This in fact, favors PTI's stance. PTI never said Election Tribunals are favoring PML-N. The most disqualifications of PML-N candidates in petitions proofs the point that PML-N was involved in massive rigging.

6) If the government has nothing to hide, then why is it refusing to open the cases of four seats demanded by the PTI — The election results on the four National Assembly seats, i.e., NA-110, NA-122, NA-125 and NA-154 have already been opened and are subjects of judicial inquiry by the election tribunals, which are the only forum for opening disputed results of any election. The government has no role to play here.

Bitch please, all of these 4 petitions are pending since elections. I have presented my case about one of these constituencies (NA-122) above as an example.

7) Unprecedented rigging on four seats — NA-110 was one of the four seats cited for election rigging. According to FAFEN, the number of electoral violations in NA-110 is zero. Compare this with NA-1, where Imran Khan won the election. The electoral violations here are listed as 58 by FAFEN. The point is not that the NA-1 result was manipulated simply because FAFEN listed these violations. The point is that there were approximately 90,000 polling stations across the country. Electoral law violations in some of these, deplorable as they may be, do not make these a rigged parliament.

FAFEN reports are not final, their figures were founds incorrect in several cases. And if they are sure as per FAFEN statistics that electoral violations in NA-110 are zero, then why don't they open it and present things in front of public and debunk PTI's rigging allegations once and for all? Who is stopping them to open NA-110 since past 14 months?

8) The PML-N rigged elections to defeat the PTI’s Jahangir Tareen — NA-154 is another one of the four seats. Here, the PML-N is blamed for stealing Tareen’s victory. But it is interesting to note that the PML-N candidate here also lost the election. The winner was an independent candidate, Mohammad Siddik Baloch. If the PML-N wanted to rig this seat, why would its candidate come a distant third?

Wrong again.

Siddique Khan Baloch contested the elections as Independent elections and PML-N was supporting him because he always win the elections in this constituencies. Interestingly PML-N also fielded their own candidate who came 3rd in elections as mentioned above. Siddique Baloch joined PML-N after winning the seat.

Now, what happened in NA-154 is very interesting. Jahangir Tareen was winning the seat till mid night of 11th May, but in morning, the results were stopped and Siddique Baloch was declared winner. Jahangir Tareen immediately filed petition for votes recount. And Siddique Baloch as usual got stay order from Lahore High Court. NA-154 thumb verification: LHC stays Tribunal proceeding

Then after SC vacated the LHC stay order, a recount was annoucned by Election Tribunal after several hearings.

And this is what we've found: NA 154 voters verification: Termite infestation ruins most ballots This is the only latest development we have on NA-154 till date, with last one dated mid June, 2014. This constituency is still disputed. So this example here is not conclusive at all.

9) Even the PPP supports the demand to reopen result of four constituencies — The PPP is happy that the PTI is focusing attention solely on Punjab. The PPP lost a large number of safe seats in Punjab. Although this has happened before, this time, the loss threatens its very existence in Punjab. In the famous four constituencies, the PPP received an abysmal one per cent, 1.6 per cent, 2.9 per cent and five per cent of total votes cast and its candidates lost even their security deposits. Therefore, how can the PPP resist the opportunity to help de-legitimise the election results in these constituencies?

I don't have to comment on this master piece, and I guess you will understand why.

10) The PTI exhausted all forums provided by law before coming on the streets — The Representation of Peoples Act provides that the forum to contest election results is the election tribunals. Around 73 per cent of all cases have already been decided by them. Anyone aggrieved by their decisions can file an appeal in the Supreme Court as mandated by law. Rule of law is not just an empty slogan to be raised in public rallies and television talk shows. It is the foundation which we must abide by if we are to build a modern and stable Pakistan.

Ex-CJ dismissed PTI's appeals in SC after single hearing, citing 2013 elections were most free and fair elections in Pakistan's history.





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Now apart from answering that article, lets come to the things which were not raised or discussed in this article just for the sake of bashing PTI and presenting 2013 elections as most free and fair elections.

• Role of Returning Officers?

• What about missing Magnetic Ink, the writer's father accepted that this ink wasn't used in elections despite purchasing this expansive ink in huge quantity.

• NADRA unverified votes? In each constituency, thousands of votes are declared unverified? Why? Who's responsible? The author's father I guess, maybe that's why he didn't talk about it?

• If Govt do not have any role in Election Tribunal's hearings, then how come Ayaz Sadiq has kept delaying Tribunal hearings?

• Of course, no words about a lot of missing ballot boxes in Karachi, because that will refute author's efforts completely

• Missing RO’s and PO’s in a number of stations of Karachi and Lahore etc?

• Missing stamps, ballot papers in a number of stations of Karachi at election day, NA-250 for example?

• The ex-CJP addressed the RO’s for the first time in history, in which capacity? What was the purpose of it?

• No talks about Mr. 35 Punctures?

• Last but not the least, why no mention of the typo mistake in NA-68, Prime Minister's constituency? A typing mistake that ECP itself has caught. A typo that made a difference of several thousand votes in one polling station only. Each constituency has 300+ polling stations on average, God knows how many such typo mistakes happened in how many other constituencies.

In a nut shell, the author is presenting only one side of story.

 

[Jazzbot]

Buawahahahahahaha. Man you've just killed him. I can't stop laughing at what you've done to that poor guy...

Best reply you've given recently..