Intelligence officials cannot be part of commission formed to probe rigging: Dar

Published November 10, 2014
Finance Minister Ishaq Dar. — APP/File
Finance Minister Ishaq Dar. — APP/File

ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday said officials of security agencies cannot be included in the judicial commission formed to probe alleged rigging in the 2013 general elections, said a report published on Radio Pakistan.

He was addressing a news conference in Islamabad today along with Federal Minister for Information Pervaiz Rashid and Minister for Science and Technology Zahid Hamid.

Dar said that as per the Constitution, a judicial commission only comprises judges and the government will not do anything in violation of the Constitution.

He said nominating members of a judicial commission is the prerogative of the chief justice, adding that even the government cannot propose the names.

Separately, the finance minister said the government was still willing to hold purposeful talks with Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan, adding that there was no intention of calling them off.

He said the government had met with the PTI approximately fifteen times and that the option of holding negotiations had been closed from the PTI’s end.

Dar also said that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had always worked towards electoral reforms and added that the PTI should do the same.

Earlier on Sunday, PTI chief Imran Khan had demanded that members of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Military Intelligence (MI) should should sit on a commission headed by the apex court to investigate rigging in the 2013 General Elections.

“People from MI and the ISI should also sit on the commission,” the PTI leader had said, adding that the commission should take six weeks to conduct its investigation.

“If the commission gives the decision that rigging took place, Nawaz Sharif has to hand in his resignation,” Imran Khan said.

He also said that individuals found guilty of rigging should be put on trial under Article 6 of the Constitution.

Read: Imran wants ISI, MI role in poll rigging inquiry

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