IN the midst of many a political crisis, out of the woodwork come individuals looking for a turn in the spotlight or simply to whip up more controversy. Now it is the turn of Afzal Khan, a retired bureaucrat who was additional secretary in the Election Commission of Pakistan when the May 2013 general election was held.

Allegedly in possession of sensational secrets that chime perfectly with the PTI’s allegations of massive electoral fraud in Punjab, Mr Khan’s choice of platform and the timing of his so-called revelations tell a story in and of themselves.

First, the former ECP bureaucrat kept to himself his alleged knowledge of widespread fraud for 15 months. Next, the former ECP bureaucrat kept to himself his alleged knowledge of widespread electoral fraud even over the past two weeks, though the dispute has been all that has dominated the national political conversation.

Know more: Rebuttal: Afzal Khan interview was fixed match, says Justice Riaz Kiani

Finally, he decided to share his alleged secrets on a controversial programme hosted by a media personality with specific political leanings. Why not a news conference to reveal such dramatic allegations?

Assume that Afzal Khan’s choice of platform and timing is entirely coincidental and that it is the call of his conscience that he is finally responding to. Even then, there have already been serious questions raised about his credibility.

The former member of the ECP Riaz Ahmed Kiani, against whom Mr Khan laid specific allegations, has publicly alleged that the former ECP additional secretary is in part motivated by the denial of an extension in service. In addition, observations have surfaced that Mr Khan himself defended the May 2013 election and the ECP’s supervisory role in many forums over the past year.

When claims such as Mr Khan’s are made, credibility is of great importance — at the moment, there are enough questions regarding Mr Khan’s motives, his political loyalties and the nature and quality of the evidence he has, if any, to not give his claims the kind of automatic sanctity that some sections of the media, and certainly the PTI, have been giving them.

As ever, there remains open an authoritative and credible forum for Afzal Khan — indeed, anyone relevant at all to allegations of electoral fraud and rigging — to take his claims to: the judicial commission led by Supreme Court judges tasked by the government to investigate charges of alleged fraud and rigging in last year’s election.

Unhappily, the distinction between fact and fiction has been blurred so much and the intersection between law and politics become so distorted that the mere airing of an allegation is now treated as valuable evidence. Mr Khan may or may not have any actual evidence that can stand up in a court of inquiry, but whether he does or not seems to matter little to those whose political aims do not quite jive with electoral reality.

Published in Dawn, August 26th, 2014