ISLAMABAD: Two days before formal commencement of an inquiry into alleged rigging in the 2013 general elections, two political parties and a former chief justice approached the judicial commission on Tuesday to join the probe.

Secretary General of the Awami National Party Mian Iftikhar Hussain and Chairman of the Mohajir Qaumi Movement (Haqiqi) Afaq Ahmed submitted applications to become parties in the proceedings before the commission headed by Chief Justice Nasir-ul-Mulk.

Read: SC forms commission to probe alleged poll rigging

Former chief justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry also sought permission to appear before the commission and rebut allegations levelled against him for manipulating the election results.

Former vice chairman of the Pakistan Bar Council Latif Afridi submitted ANP’s application on behalf of party’s president Asfandyar Wali Khan appointing Mian Iftikhar to represent the party before the commission.

ANP’s information secretary Zahid Khan accompanied Mian Iftikhar.

The ANP seeks permission to produce evidence before the commission to prove that the last elections were stolen in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by denying level playing field to its candidates.

Talking to newsmen outside the Supreme Court, the ANP leaders said the PTI had been levelling allegations of rigging only where their candidates had lost the election.

In its application filed by Advocate Hashmat Habib, the MQM-H accused the Muttahida Qaumi Movement of ransacking its election offices and killing its workers and supporters during the elections.

The MQM-H recalled that it had fielded candidates in 11 constituencies of the National Assembly in Karachi. It said Afaq Ahmed himself had filed nomination papers from NA-251 and NA-255, but the Muttahida terrorised its workers and forced Mr Ahmed to remain under unannounced house arrest to curb the party’s election campaign.

The MQM-H alleged that culprits had harassed its workers and voters and even killed its worker Shakeel Ahmed.

It accused the Muttahida of creating lawlessness and indulging in bogus voting. The situation deteriorated to such an extent that even the MQM-H leadership could not cast their votes, it said, adding that police officers and returning officers of Muttahida’s choice were appointed.

Justice Chaudhry submitted a one-page application expressing his willingness to appear before the commission to answer allegations levelled by PTI Chairman Imran Khan that he (the former CJ) had manipulated the election results.

Published in Dawn, April 15th, 2015

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