ISLAMABAD - The inquiry commission probing allegations of rigging in general elections Wednesday asked Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan to refrain from commenting on the commission proceedings.
It its first hearing the commission had directed the media and the politicians to refrain from commenting on the proceedings. The inquiry panel, being headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Nasirul Mulk and including Justice Amir Hani Muslim and Justice Ejaz Afzal, was constituted under General Election Inquiry Commission Ordinance 2015.
Onset of the proceeding Shahid Hamid, counsel for Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, informed the commission that PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Tuesday held press conference after the hearing in which on four occasions he called witness Mehboob Anwar (ex-PEC, Punjab) ‘a liar’. He said Imran threatened the former Provincial Election Commissioner (PEC) of Punjab and violated section 3, 4 of Inquiry Commission on General Election 2013 Ordinance.
The chief justice after the proceeding held meeting with the PML-N and PTI counsels in the chamber regarding the matter. The sources said the Commission members took strong notice of Imran Khan’s press conference in which he threatened Mehboob Anwar and called him a liar. The sources further said that the members asked Pirzada to ask his client not to comment on the commission proceedings, as it causes prejudice. After the meeting PTI counsel Abdul Hafiz Pirzada and PML-N representative advocate Shahid Hamid refused to answer the questions of media persons.
During the proceeding, Shahid Hamid said he was not prepared as Pirzada yesterday stated that he would take another day to cross-examine the ex-PECP. The PML-N counsel contended before the commission that his client has no idea of excess printing of ballot papers and he would go along with the proposal of Pirzada if he wanted to summon Returning Officers and District Returning Officers and interrogate them regarding excess printing of ballot papers. He said in the Punjab the deviation regarding excess printing of ballot papers is less than 10 per cent.
ECP lawyer Salman Akram Raja informed the commission that he wanted to file more documents. Upon that the chief justice told him the documents related to Election Commission of Pakistan should be filed through the ECP witnesses. The hearing was adjourned till 11:30 am, Thursday.