ISLAMABAD - Chairman National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) has rejected a request of Chairman PTI Imran Khan for immediate replacement of DG (Data) of the authority for lack of evidence against him after Khan showed apprehensions that he could influence the verification process of thumb impressions of votes cast in NA-122.
Chairman PTI Imran Khan in a letter written to Chairman Nadra Usman Yousaf Mobin had requested the latter to immediately replace Muzaffar Ali as he had lack of confidence in him while he was supervising the overall work of thumb impression verification of votes cast in NA-122 under the direction of Election Tribunal (Punjab) Lahore. The ET Lahore had given this order on March 4, 2015. Khan also said that Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq was pressurizing Muzaffar Ali to alter thumb impression verification results of NA-122.
In response to the letter of PTI chief, Chairman Nadra Usman Yousaf Mobin in the letter written to Khan, a copy of which is available with The Nation, said that Muzaffar Ali had been the Director General of National Data Warehouse since 2007 and had been involved in all Election Tribunal related verifications since General Elections 2013. He along with his team has produced 38 reports so far and previously there had been no objection on his role, Mobin further said.
"We have carefully examined your request and appreciate your concerns, we would like to request you to provide evidence or proofs so that we are able to take necessary action in this matter," Usman Mobin said in the letter.
"I look forward to hearing from you soon and am grateful for your consideration," he also said.
The Chairman Nadra also mentioned that verification exercise performed under the direction of Election Tribunals were critical in nature and the authority always tried its best to ensure that Standard Operating Procedures were followed by all concerned individuals working on this project.
Earlier, Imran Khan in the letter had said, "According to reliable sources, Muzaffar Ali DG (Data) (under whose overall supervision and direction the thumb verification process in relation to NA-122 is being under taken) is being put under pressure by Sardar Ayaz Sadiq the contesting respondent in my election petition in order to manipulate and alter the results of the thumb verification exercise the same is being carried out in a non-transparent and opaque manner."
Khan had further said that in these circumstances the senior position of this officer, he was clearly in a position to exercise under undue influence and prejudice the thumb verification process.
Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq had won the election from NA-122 against Imran. According to some private TV channels, Speaker NA Sardar Ayaz Sadiq in response to the letter of PTI chief said that he was not pressurizing Nadra instead Khan was feeling the heat of his pressure. He said that it looked that Khan had succumbed to his pressure.