ISLAMABAD: In an analysis report on polling in the National Assembly constituency NA-110 Sialkot, the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) told the Supreme Court on Wednesday that 3,478 counterfoils of the total ballot did not qualify for thumb impression matching.

Likewise, there were 1,975 used counterfoils through which identity of voters could not be established because invalid computerised national identity card (CNIC) numbers were written on them, said the report.

It was submitted to the court in compliance with its Jan 19 directive to conduct verification of thumb impressions of voters of the constituency from where PML-N stalwart and sitting Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif had emerged victorious in 2013 general elections.

A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, which took up an application of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf candidate Usman Dar, issued a notice to the Nadra chairman, asking him to appear before the court on Friday.

Over 3,400 counterfoils from Sialkot constituency do not qu­­­a­­lify for thumb impression mat­­­­­­ching, court informed

Usman Dar has challenged an order of an election tribunal that rejected his election petition on the basis of non-prosecution.

In its last order, the court had asked the Election Commission of Pakistan to provide counterfoils and thumb impressions of votes cast in the constituency to enable Nadra to complete the verification exercise in three months so that after receiving the Nadra report the court could issue a final order. The cost of the entire exercise of verification of thumb impressions had to be borne by the petitioner (Usman Dar).

NA-110 Sialkot is one of the four constituencies — including NA-125 Lahore, NA-122 Lahore and NA-154 Lodhran — which remained at the centre of attack by the PTI leadership in its campaign to establish massive rigging in the elections. Election petitions were also instituted seeking re-elections in the constituencies. Later PTI Secretary General Jehngir Tarin secured the National Assembly seat from NA-154 Lodhran in a subsequent by-election.

Khawaja Asif had bagged 92,484 votes and Usman Dar 71,573 during the elections.

On Wednesday, Advocate Babar Awan, representing the petitioner, invited the attention of the Supreme Court to what he called an incomplete forensic report of Nadra.

Excluding 3,478 counterfoils, the Nadra report said, the record of remaining 147,698 votes was processed through automated fingerprint identification system (AFIS).

The authority could not process 102,950 used counterfoils through the AFIS because of poor quality of thumb impressions. But CNIC numbers mentioned on such counterfoils were valid.

Likewise, there were 208 used counterfoils which did not have CNIC numbers, the report said. It was observed mainly in counterfoils from polling stations No 57 and 149. Similarly, there were 26 used counterfoils belonging to voters which were not registered in the constituency. Besides 261 identity card numbers were mentioned on 523 counterfoils more than once, mainly in polling stations No 86 and 188.

The information was extracted from capturing NIC numbers written on used counterfoils.

Moreover, 746 used counterfoils, mainly from polling stations No 178 and 92, did not have thumb impressions on them.

The report stated that thumb impressions on the remaining 44,728 counterfoils were authenticated through the AFIS. It means that thumb impressions affixed on counterfoils at the time of issuance of ballot papers matched with fingerprint data of registered voters/citizens kept by Nadra in the Citizen Database.

It said a total of 20 votes failed authentication. It meant that someone else voted against the NIC number mentioned on the used counterfoil, the report said.

Published in Dawn, June 2nd, 2016