ISLAMABAD – The recent general election was free and fair yet controversyof Result Transmission System’s (RTS) failure was created to make itcontroversial and there was a need to hold forensic audit of the server atNational Database Registration Authority (NADRA) to check whether itmalfunctioned or was intentionally closed.
This was stated by Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry FawadHussain and Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf Senator Azam Swati at a joint pressconference here.
Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said his party believed in free and fair electoralsystem and desired that no one should be able to raise finger towards itstransparency. He reminded that it was Pakistan cricket team’s captain ImranKhan who introduced neutral umpires in international cricket and hestrongly believed in such fairness and transparency in electoral process ofthe country.
He said that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif spent billions of rupees onhis foreign visits and always stayed in London on the expense of tax payersmoney. Besides Nawaz Shairf, his sons Hussain Nawaz, Hassan Nawaz and hisdaughter Maryam Nawaz illegally spent Rs 17,148,603 on their trips onofficial aircraft.
He said that this expenditure did not include the trips of Hamza Shehbazand other members of Shehbaz Sharif family as they used Punjab government’saircraft and helicopter. Moreover he said that illegal helicopterexpenditures of the children of Nawaz Sharif were Rs 6,230,000. A bill ofRs 25 million would be sent to Sharif family for its recovery, he added.
Senator Azam Swati said that July 25 elections were free and fair and theyshould not be made controversial for failure of RTS as all the returningofficers have the images of Form 45 with them which could not be changed,tempered or deleted.
At mid-night even the Election Commission of Pakistan did not know aboutthe failure of RTS, how come Shehbaz Sharif got the information about itsmalfunctioning and failure, Azam Swati questioned.
He said that RTS servers were in possession of NADRA and it was necessaryto hold forensic audit of the three servers of the system to ascertain ifthe system collapsed or it was intentionally closed down.
He claimed that by 2.00 a.m. on the election night 42,862 images of From 45had been transmitted which constituted 51 per cent of the results and only91 complaints were reported.
Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said that NADRA had control of the entire system andthe way services of its chairman and other high ups were hired by theprevious government raised many questions.
He said that experts of National Telecommunication Information TechnologySecurity Board (NTISB) should check why the system collapsed and why NADRAhad no backup of the system.
There was no justification in the claims that due to over burden thetelecom towers failed to transmit the Form -45 images sent by the PresidingOfficers as on the occasion of Eid tens of millions of images are sharedwithout choking of the system, he added.
Swati also said that during the recent meeting of Senate Standing Committeeon Interior he raised 15 questions, and the answers of ECP and NADRA werecontradictory.
He said that Rs 21 billion were paid to ECP for holding free and fairelection and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan Peoples Partyappointed the members and chief election commissioner.
Later replying to questions of media persons, Chaudhry Fawad clarified thathis ministry did not pay for air tickets and stay of anchorpersons.
He said that the illegal use of Punjab government aircraft and helicopterswas a provincial matter and the provincial government could take action. -APP