ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Interior turned down on Friday a demand by Senator Azam Swati for the suspension of the chairman of the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) and two other senior officials on the grounds that they had allegedly manipulated the election results.

A meeting of the committee chaired by Senator Rehman Malik discussed the complaints and reservations expressed by political parties, media and the general public on the management of the 2018 general elections.

The key complainant in this regard was committee member Azam Swati of the PTI, who had alleged that Nadra had manipulated its information technology system while announcing the results. According to the senator, the Nadra chairman, its director-general projects and the head of its IT department should be suspended and an inquiry conducted over the alleged discontinuation of the Results Transmission System (RTS) by Nadra on the night of polling day.

“The RTS system was stopped by Nadra upon verbal directives from some authority at 11.47pm,” Senator Swati said, adding: “Three officers, including chairman Nadra, should be suspended so that a fair inquiry could be conducted.”

Though Nadra has already rejected the allegations earlier, Mr Swati insisted that he had proof of mismanagement by Nadra related to announcement of election results.

The chairman of the Senate standing committee asked the members to add their comments on the subject.

Senator Atiq Ahmed Shaikh of the MQM rejected the idea of suspending any official on the grounds that such a decision should be recommended by the committee on solid grounds only.

“If there is any evidence to show that Nadra acted in an unpleasant manner to manipulate the elections, that proof should be presented to the committee,” Mr Shaikh said, adding that the committee represented the whole of the Senate and any such recommendation would not be a wise idea.

Similar views were expressed by senators Chaudhry Tanvir, Murtaza Javed Abbasi and Asad Junejo who said the committee could not recommend the suspension of any officer without an inquiry.

“There has to be a thorough electronic audit as well as forensic audit into the allegations,” Mr Junejo said. “I suggest that these audits may be conducted through foreign experts and they may be hired after open tendering.”

Senator Rehman Malik said the committee would inquire about the allegation that some verbal directives were issued to Nadra to shut down the RTS. He directed the data-keeping authority to give a written response to the queries.

Published in Dawn, September 29th, 2018