http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-New...in-party-polls
PTI members raise issues of transparency in party polls
Dilshad Azeem
Thursday, November 01, 2012
From Print Edition
ISLAMABAD: The PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s old party fellows have raised serious objections over the transparency of upcoming Nov 2 internal elections, describing the whole exercise merely a “fraud” with devoted party activists.
“We would be left with no choice but to seek legal redress and such a step may lead to public disclosure of the electoral fraud that is being enacted under the guise of bringing a truly democratic PTI leadership to the fore,” reads their jointly written letter to election in-Charge Hamid Khan.
The letter, available with The News duly signed by 14 founding PTI members, focuses on what they write ‘bogus voters lists,’ ‘mode of voting’ and ‘nomination of the candidates’. It is also sent to other senior party leaders.
They include Jamil Abbassi, Mahmood Khan, Ali Awan, Mrs. Fauzia Arshad, Irfan, Nafeesa Khattak, PTI’s ex-Islamabad President Ch. Ilyas Meharban — PTI nominated Candidate for NA-49.
The entire responsibility for the loss of credibility in such an eventuality would rest with those dishonest and unfaithful party officials who are managing the intra party elections, according to the letter.
“The planned PTI elections are not only rigged and fraudulent but it would also destroy the party’s credibility beyond redemption and with this letter we are making a final attempt to redress internally fundamental issues of electoral transparency.”
They pointed out that the names of thousands of registered voters were missing from the voters lists. “Bogus CNIC numbers have been used to register voters,” putting the credibility of both the elections and the party at stake. Individuals with bogus CNIC numbers and no cell phone number have also been registered as PTI voters. Since the mode of voting is electronic, such bogus voters would seriously undermine the transparency of the entire electoral process.”
They reminded the party leadership that the PTI had boycotted the by-polls because of bogus electoral lists. “How can we, the dedicated members of PTI, be expected to participate in PTI intra party elections scheduled for Islamabad on bogus voters lists?
“The eligibility or disqualification criteria of candidates, they said, have not been specified. Out of a total of 884 nomination papers submitted, 378 or almost 43 percent of the nominations were rejected without assigning any reason in writing except being verbally informed that their names were not in the voter lists.”
“The party positions to be contested in the elections have not been specified nor has the Election Commission specified who would be elected on what position after counting of votes.“These are serious violations of any electoral process leave alone a party that claims to be the champions of free and fair elections.”
They said that despite requests, the mode of voting has neither been defined nor specified. “The EC’s specification just a few days before the polling day totally defies the PTI’s public stance of setting an example of transparent elections.”










