Charges of bogus voting: Nadra, ECP asked to verify fingerprints

The Senate's Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control on Thursday asked the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to brief the body during the next meeting whether they has the capacity to verify fingerprints for taking up rigging charges in general elections.
The committee met with Senator Sardar Fateh Muhammad Hassani the chair here at the parliament house and was attended by Senator Muhammad Yousaf, Mukhtiar Ahmad Dhamrah, Pervez Rashid, Shahi Syed, Begum Najma Hameed, Additional secretary Ministry of Interior Ashfaq Ghumman, Inspector-General of Police Punjab Usman Khattack, Superintendent of Police (SP) Islamabad, Jamil Hashmi and other senior officials.
Members of the committee said that the government made poor security arrangements on the Election Day, especially in Balochistan and Karachi. They said that bogus votes had been cast in a number of constituencies in Balochistan and Karachi because of ECP's mismanagement. They urged NADRA and ECP to verify fingerprints of voters in constituencies where there were allegations of bogus voting. Senator Sardar Fateh Muhammad Hassani said that fair elections had not been held "even in one percent of Baloch areas in Balochistan". "The ECP tasked Levies' personnel in Balochistan to conduct the polls, but most of them are illiterate... how can one expect fair and transparent elections (in this situation)," he said.
He said that if people in Balochistan started to organise protest demonstrations, the situation will further deteriorate, if the ECP fails in taking notice of this serious issue. "NADRA should verify fingerprints of voters in Balochistan otherwise people will take to streets against massive rigging in elections," he said.
Senator Shahi Syed said that despite poor security arrangements on elections day his party has wholeheartedly accepted the election results, but I don't understand why the political parties including PML-N, PTI, JI and JUF who have won the election are staging protest demonstration in Karachi. He said that Nadra have the capacity to verify finger prints therefore ECP and Nadra need to verify prints, wherever there are reports of rigging. "I request PML-N, PTI and JUF to end their protest and adopt legal way for addressing the issue", he said.
Senator Mukhtiar Ahmed Dhamrah said that the government did not give practical shape to the security plan, proposed by the concerned authorities before the election. He said that his house located in Nawab Shah was besieged by the armed men for four days but the concerned authorities, even the ministry interior did not take any action in this regard. "To expose rigging in the elections, there is dire need to verify prints", he said.
"If we are demanding fingerprints verification, we should make it clear either the Nadra has the capacity of fingerprints verification or not," said senator Pervaiz Rashid. He said that Nadra should brief the committee regarding its capacity about finger prints verification. On this the committee directed that Nadra and ECP to brief the committee whether they were capable of verifying fingerprints or not.
Additional Secretary Interior Ashfaq Ghumman informed the committee that NADRA had the capacity to verify fingerprints. He also informed the committee that the police have suspended the investigation of alleged kidnapping of daughter of Mian Tariq Mehmood, following the court order, as Tariq's daughter contracted Nikah with Ahmed Ali Awan. On this the committee directed the police to present the whole record of the case during the next meeting.