KARACHI, Oct 23: Confirming allegations of bogus voting on PS-114 (Mehmoodabad), a provincial assembly seat won by the candidate of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, another report of the National Database and Registration Authority stated that the thumb impressions on 63,469 ballots could not be compared or matched through the Nadra system because the fingerprints were of very poor quality.

The Nadra report, third in a row, was submitted to the Election Tribunal headed by a former judge of the Sindh High Court, Zafar Ahmed Khan Sherwani, in an election petition filed by runner-up candidate of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement Abdur Rauf Siddiqui challenging the election results of winning candidate Irfanullah Khan Marwat of the PML-N.

The election tribunal had on Aug 3 sent the ballot papers of the constituency for verification of thumbprints to Nadra on the application of the MQM leader.

The report said that a total of 92,731 counterfoils were sent to Nadra for verification.

Of them, 14,234 ballot papers contained invalid national identity card numbers, which were never issued by Nadra.

This bogus voting was observed in two different polling stations (Nos 64 and 69) of the constituency.

The report further said that the thumb impressions on 63,469 ballots could not be compared or matched through the Nadra system because the fingerprints were of very poor quality.

It said that a total of 10,007 votes were successfully authenticated as the fingerprints affixed on the counterfoils at the time of issuance of ballot paper correctly matched with finger print data of the registered voters.

According to the Nadra report, as many as 378 votes were not registered in the constituency and the fact was ascertained on the basis of the computerised national identity card numbers mentioned on the used ballot papers.

Besides, the report said, there were 792 duplicate votes, which were cast by as many as 1,602 voters mainly in two polling stations. This information was extracted from capturing CNIC number used on counterfoil as one CNIC (24301-1530723-0) of Bibi Jamila, a resident of Mehmoodabad polled her vote five times.

The report said as many as 581 ballot papers were found without having fingerprints on them.

It said that 3,270 votes failed authentication, because someone else voted against the CNIC number mentioned on the used counterfoils.

The report said that as many as 44 votes were polled on the CNIC (42301-3760308-7) of Muhammad Arif Sattar, a resident of Azam Town.

Earlier, the Nadra submitted its report on the election results of NA-256 (Shah Faisal Colony), a National Assembly seat bagged by MQM candidate Iqbal Muhammad Ali Khan. His victory was challenged by the runner-up candidate of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, Muhammad Zubair Khan.

Similarly, a Nadra report for NA-258 (Gadap), the NA seat won by PML-N candidate Abdul Hakeem Baloch, had disclosed bogus voting.

As many as 29 election appeals sent to the Election Tribunal, Karachi by the Election Commission of Pakistan are pending disposal.

The tribunal has so far dismissed two election appeals against the election results of NA-257 (Malir) and PS-93 (Banaras). However, two more appeals against the results of these constituencies are still pending disposal.

The election results of several seats of the national and provincial assemblies, including NA-258, NA-257, NA-256, NA-215 (Khairpur), NA-251 (Mehmoodabad), NA-249 (Kharadar), NA-252 (PIB Colony), NA-253 (Gulshan-i-Iqbal), NA-241 (Orangi Town), and 13 provincial assembly seats in Karachi — PS-114, PS-129, PS-128, PS-93, PS-119, PS-127, PS-117, PS-120, PS-116, PS-126, PS-118, PS-117 and PS-126 — as well as three seats in Khairpur — PS-32, PS-33 and PS-29 — and PS-50 (Hyderabad) have been challenged through election petitions.