ISLAMABAD: In a major breakthrough, the government and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf agreed on Friday to constitute an election inquiry commission, paving way for PTI lawmakers’ return to the National Assembly.

At a joint press conference held at the Punjab House here, chief negotiators from the two sides said they had sorted out their differences over the scope of the proposed judicial commission which would be formally constituted at a ceremony to be held over the next couple of weeks.

“Though we have agreed between us on the terms of reference (ToRs) of the commission, it will be shared with other political parties represented in parliament early next week, before the issuance of required ordinance,” Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said. The agreement would help bring much-needed political stability to the country, he added.

ToRs of the proposed commission to be shared with other parties represented in parliament

Reading out the ToRs, PTI General Secretary Jahangir Tareen said the commission would investigate and determine whether or not 2013 general elections “were organised and conducted impartially, honestly, fairly, justly and in accordance with the law”. This clause had been taken from Article 218 (III) of the Constitution, he added.

Mr Tareen said the commission would also determine “if the last general elections were influenced or manipulated pursuant to a systematic effort or by design by anyone”.

The third point of difference, on which the two sides eventually agreed, the commission will also determine whether “the results of 2013 general elections on an overall basis provided a true and fair reflection of the mandate of the people”.

PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi said the two sides would sign a memorandum of understanding which would become the very basis for the ordinance about the setting up of the commission.

Apparently, both sides looked satisfied with the outcome of their scores of both on- and off-the-record meetings to sort out their differences over the commission’s ToRs.

But a PTI leader told Dawn on condition of anonymity: “To me it’s a government victory because with extension in the scope of inquiry, the suggestive commission will be bogged down in countless legalities.”

A PTI MNA was of the opinion that the two sides had taken half risks; let’s see “how it turns out in coming weeks and months”.

A senior minister said that since both sides’ viewpoint had been made part of the commission’s scope of inquiry, “it shouldn’t be taken as a victory of either side”.

In conversation with Dawn, a contented Mr Tareen, however, said the PTI had achieved its victory of opening up the last general elections and under the agreed ToRs, the proposed commission would now be able to determine veracity of the election results in total.

But for a political analyst, it appeared that the two sides would cool down after the agreement, but the fight would continue both on political and legal grounds.

Asked if the PTI lawmakers would return to the National Assembly after the agreement, Mr Tareen said the party’s core committee would meet on Sunday to take a decision on the matter.

Answering another question, he said the PTI wanted the judicial commission to complete its work in 45 days, but eventually a deadline would be decided by the commission members.

In a press statement, PTI Chairman Imran Khan expressed his satisfaction over the outcome. “I thank thousands of people who made the PTI’s 126-day sit-in a success through their unwavering commitment for Insaf. This success is reflected in the creation of the judicial commission which will investigate rigging in the 2013 general elections,” he said.

This is the first time in the country’s history, he said, electoral rigging would be investigated, despite the fact that every election after 1970 was seen by people as rigged.

Mr Khan said that finally people would be able to defeat mafias and ensure that their mandate was asserted through fair, free and transparent elections which were the foundation of a genuine democracy.

“We will now ensure that all evidence of rigging is brought before the judicial commission so that the perpetrators of rigging could be exposed and punished,” he said.

Published in Dawn, March 21st, 2015

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