ISLAMABAD: The Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reforms, which met on Friday for the first time since the protesting Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) descended on the capital, observed that there were “complications, confusions, and an absence of coordination” in the 2013 general elections, sources privy to what was discussed in the meeting told Dawn on Sunday.

The committee, chaired by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and consisting of nearly all the parties represented in parliament – with the exception of the boycotting PTI – examined a host of issues in its last meeting.

In the recently concluded joint session of parliament, legislators from several parties in the house admitted that there were apparent irregularities in the 2013 elections.

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These included allegations of improper use of magnetic ink, the printing of additional ballot papers and vote verification, most of which have been raised by the PTI.

Use of decades-old printing machines caused ballot paper errors

The committee was shocked to learn that the Printing Corporation of Pakistan (PCP) used 66-year-old machines to print the ballot papers for the 2013 general elections. “It was quite astonishing for all of us that the outdated machines used by PCP had caused several problems and led to errors in ballot papers,” Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed, a member of the committee, told Dawn on Sunday.

On Friday, the committee was briefed by officials from several key departments involved in the electoral process, including the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra), the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the PCP and the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.

During the briefings, the committee raised questions around the use of magnetic ink. They inquired why Nadra and ECP insisted that voters only use the expensive ink to stamp ballot papers.

“We said that if such expensive ink did not serve the purpose, then why it was used in the first place? We have also asked (the departments) to explain what is special about this ink and how it was used to ensure transparency in the elections,” Mr Hussain said.

The committee will now be briefed on these points in its next meeting, expected to be held on September 29.

The meeting also found that there were complications in the election process and that staff deputed at polling stations was often not properly trained. “Election Commission staff at the polling stations did not know how to properly guide voters or address their complaints,” Mr Hussain said.

An ECP source also said that staff inefficiency had caused several problems and errors at polling stations during the elections.

The source said the meeting gave serious consideration to the allegations and concerns raised by the PTI and decided to review them thoroughly. All departments concerned have been asked to submit a point-by-point response to the allegations at the next meeting, which may also be open to the media.

The committee also asked the ECP to explain whether ballot papers were printed from a private printing press in Urdu Bazaar, Lahore, as claimed by the PTI.

Published in Dawn, September 22nd , 2014