By Tariq Naqash
MUZAFFARABAD, June 18: The AJK Election Commission (EC) on Saturday confessed to its "impotence" in the face of faulty electoral rolls as criticism from political parties and individuals mounted in this regard.
In a statement, an unnamed EC spokesman also made no bones in telling that “since little time was left in the (day of) polling, redress of hundreds of pending complaints about electoral rolls and polling scheme was next to impossible.”
The statement appeared to be a veiled attempt to shift the blame for faulty voter lists on the government for it had suggested employment of the revenue department’s field staff, mainly the patwaris, for the purpose instead of the education department teachers.
“The Election Commission got the electoral rolls for 2011 general election prepared through the field staff of revenue department, instead of the education department staff, under the decision of the AJK government. (And) after the printing, plentiful errors in the lists came to fore which were corrected through the same staff under the supervision of respective deputy commissioners,” he said.
“However, nevertheless, there were still mistakes in the rolls and the EC did not have enough staff of its own to rectify them completely,” he added.
He said the polling schemes were prepared by the assistant returning officers (tehsildars) in coordination with their parent (revenue) department under the supervision of the returning officers, who were members of the subordinate judiciary.
However, he admitted, there had also been numerous complaints about the polling schemes.
“Let it be clear the Election Commission has no role, either in preparation of electoral rolls or in compilation of polling schemes… While the rolls were prepared by the field staff of revenue department, the polling schemes were also prepared with their cooperation,” he said.
The EC statement came as political parties, including the ruling Muslim Conference, have mounted criticism against errors and mistakes in the electoral rolls. Many candidates have gone to the courts to get the dual and bogus votes quashed.
On Saturday, PML-N chief organiser Raja Farooq Haider said thousands of bogus votes enrolled in AJK put a big question mark on the credibility and transparency of elections.
Khawaja Farooq Ahmed, Peoples Party AJK candidate from Muzaffarabad city, has already submitted an application in the EC along with evidence of more than 3000 dual votes which he alleges were enlisted at the behest of AJK Prime Minister Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan, who has launched his son from here.
Regarding other issues, the EC spokesman asserted that all arrangements for polling had been completed. Polling material had reached the concerned districts and the money for polling allowance and movement scheme had also been granted to the returning officers and deputy commissioners concerned, respectively.
Stating that directives had been issued to all concerned to conduct polling in a peaceful atmosphere, he warned that the CEC may initiate disciplinary action under the AJK Election Ordinance 1970 against those government officials found guilty of irresponsibility and negligence.
Similarly, he added, riotousness on the part of candidates or their supporters could also lead to the disqualification of the former.
Ends
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
Nawaz Sharif fails to inject election fever in his party cadres
By Tariq Naqash
MUZAFFARABAD, June 16: PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif on Thursday attended the first election related public meeting of his party in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, but his speech focused more on the situation in Pakistan and less on election in AJK.
The public meeting, with more than 6000 participants, was held in a stadium in Kotli, the hometown of former AJK premier Sardar Sikandar Hayat who presided it over
“I am in love with Azad Kashmir and the situation here compelled me to launch PML-N in AJK,” Mr Sharif said and asked the electorate to vote for the candidates, bearing the (election) symbol of tiger.
“We have to get our rights as a tiger which is a brave symbol and has now come to AJK. You have to vindicate us,” he said.
He announced that if his party came to power in Pakistan he would construct an Islamabad like motorway in AJK as well.
Unlike expectations Mr Sharif could not go into details that why he had launched his party in AJK and why the Kashmiris should vote for it, something which the organisers would have wanted from him in order to inject election fever in their constituents.
Instead, Mr Sharif’s address revolved around his alleged achievements as prime minister and repercussions of his deposition by the Pervez Musharraf led military generals.
“Pakistan was making progress in our government, ahead of India in the field of economic and competing it in the field of defence,” he said, claiming that had his government not been deposed, Kashmir problem would have been resolved by now.
Mr Sharif recalled that after he made Pakistan a nuclear state, the then Indian premier Atal Bihari Vajpayee came to Lahore by bus and stated that India wanted to resolve all issues, including Kashmir, at the negotiating table.
“In today’s world issues are not resolved through talks but General Musharraf and three other fellow conspirators – Gen Mahmood, Gen Javed and Gen Aziz, sabotaged our efforts by launching a misadventure of Kargil,” he said.
The PML-N leader said Pakistan was not made by Quaid-e-Azam for breaking law and constitution but here not only the constitution was breached but the person who breached it (Gen Musharraf) was given guard of honour and gallantry awards.
"I have come into the field to make good of the wrongs the country is in today," he said.
The participants and critics were in a fix as to what was the real purpose of the much hyped visit – to vindicate Mr Sharif’s hawkish politics in Pakistan at the moment or create a support base for his newly launched political party in AJK.
He did not make any mention of the ruling Muslim Conference and its alleged bad governance or the AJK chapter of Peoples Party which enjoys blessings of the central government.
In his earlier visit in December last year, when he had formally launched his party in AJK, Mr Sharif had also failed to make a relevant speech and had instead targeted the MQM, leading to a unpleasant war of words between the two sides.
Ends
MUZAFFARABAD, June 16: PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif on Thursday attended the first election related public meeting of his party in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, but his speech focused more on the situation in Pakistan and less on election in AJK.
The public meeting, with more than 6000 participants, was held in a stadium in Kotli, the hometown of former AJK premier Sardar Sikandar Hayat who presided it over
“I am in love with Azad Kashmir and the situation here compelled me to launch PML-N in AJK,” Mr Sharif said and asked the electorate to vote for the candidates, bearing the (election) symbol of tiger.
“We have to get our rights as a tiger which is a brave symbol and has now come to AJK. You have to vindicate us,” he said.
He announced that if his party came to power in Pakistan he would construct an Islamabad like motorway in AJK as well.
Unlike expectations Mr Sharif could not go into details that why he had launched his party in AJK and why the Kashmiris should vote for it, something which the organisers would have wanted from him in order to inject election fever in their constituents.
Instead, Mr Sharif’s address revolved around his alleged achievements as prime minister and repercussions of his deposition by the Pervez Musharraf led military generals.
“Pakistan was making progress in our government, ahead of India in the field of economic and competing it in the field of defence,” he said, claiming that had his government not been deposed, Kashmir problem would have been resolved by now.
Mr Sharif recalled that after he made Pakistan a nuclear state, the then Indian premier Atal Bihari Vajpayee came to Lahore by bus and stated that India wanted to resolve all issues, including Kashmir, at the negotiating table.
“In today’s world issues are not resolved through talks but General Musharraf and three other fellow conspirators – Gen Mahmood, Gen Javed and Gen Aziz, sabotaged our efforts by launching a misadventure of Kargil,” he said.
The PML-N leader said Pakistan was not made by Quaid-e-Azam for breaking law and constitution but here not only the constitution was breached but the person who breached it (Gen Musharraf) was given guard of honour and gallantry awards.
"I have come into the field to make good of the wrongs the country is in today," he said.
The participants and critics were in a fix as to what was the real purpose of the much hyped visit – to vindicate Mr Sharif’s hawkish politics in Pakistan at the moment or create a support base for his newly launched political party in AJK.
He did not make any mention of the ruling Muslim Conference and its alleged bad governance or the AJK chapter of Peoples Party which enjoys blessings of the central government.
In his earlier visit in December last year, when he had formally launched his party in AJK, Mr Sharif had also failed to make a relevant speech and had instead targeted the MQM, leading to a unpleasant war of words between the two sides.
Ends
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
'Lent officers also make hay while the sun shines'
By Tariq Naqash
MUZAFFARABAD, June 7: In yet another act of ‘generosity’ at the cost of poor taxpayers, Prime Minister Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan has ordered provision of some certain facilities to all those retired federal government officers who have ever served in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) as chief secretary.
“The government has been pleased to order that the facilities approved for the chief secretaries to the AJK government, vide a notification dated 15-06-2006, shall continue and apply to all the chief secretaries who have served in AJK, irrespective of the fact whether they retired as chief secretary AJK or thereafter,” read an official notification issued by the Services and General Administration Department (S&GAD), here the other day.
But when asked to comment, AJK Finance Minister Abdul Rashid Abbasi candidly said he was not aware if any such notification had been issued.
According to the June 2006 notification, which was issued when the region was going through the hubbub of electioneering in the aftermath of devastating October 2005 earthquake, "the government was pleased to grant exemption to the retired chief secretaries from taking out licences for possession of up to one prohibited bore and two non-prohibited bore weapons, free access to all government guesthouses, rest houses, circuit houses in AJK and Kashmir House Islamabad, pick up and drop facility at Islamabad airport with protocol coverage, provision of a staff car for a maximum of three days during stay at Kashmir House Islamabad, services of a driver and a cook, to be appointed by the beneficiary by himself, for life time."
Although the notification had drawn flak for the reason that being a federal government officer, the AJK chief secretary was not a liability of the cash strapped AJK government, the AJK finance department had granted financial concurrence from March 1, 2007 for creation of six each posts of drivers and cooks in BPS-4 and BPS-1, respectively, for the former chief secretaries.
During posting in AJK, a chief secretary draws his salary from the federal exchequer while his accommodation, vehicles and other facilities are arranged and sponsored by the state government.
The controversial notification was allegedly imitated from a similar document issued by the Punjab government but it carried ambiguities which appeared to have been left unaddressed deliberately, according to official sources.
In May 2008, the S&GAD had sought a decision from Prime Minister Attique regarding revocation or protraction of the said notification after withdrawal of financial concurrence to the new posts by the finance department.
However, the move was shelved after opposition by the then chief secretary Javed Majeed. Ironically, the prime minister had also seconded the opinion of his confidant chief secretary.
The fresh notification, according to sources, was issued to remove the “ambiguities” in the initial (June 2006) document to extend these benefits to all those chief secretaries who had either retired from service during their posting in AJK or had held this office prior to their retirement from any other position in Pakistan.
However, even the fresh notification had deliberately overlooked another important issue regarding the place of permanent residence of former AJK chief secretaries after their retirement from the Central Superior Services.
Official sources lamented that while AJK was facing severe resources constraints the government was issuing such notifications only to please the federal government officers from the taxpayers’ money.
When contacted, a source in the finance department told this scribe that they will have to arrange funds for provision of these facilities to at least eight former AJK chief secretaries.
“We are born to serve and we cannot raise any objection,” remarked the source , cynically.
According to official record, of the nearly 39 chief secretaries who served in AJK after 1947, the only one who rose to this position from the AJK services was Mr Abdul Haq Suharwardy (1969-71) while the rest were CSP officers.
Ends
MUZAFFARABAD, June 7: In yet another act of ‘generosity’ at the cost of poor taxpayers, Prime Minister Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan has ordered provision of some certain facilities to all those retired federal government officers who have ever served in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) as chief secretary.
“The government has been pleased to order that the facilities approved for the chief secretaries to the AJK government, vide a notification dated 15-06-2006, shall continue and apply to all the chief secretaries who have served in AJK, irrespective of the fact whether they retired as chief secretary AJK or thereafter,” read an official notification issued by the Services and General Administration Department (S&GAD), here the other day.
But when asked to comment, AJK Finance Minister Abdul Rashid Abbasi candidly said he was not aware if any such notification had been issued.
According to the June 2006 notification, which was issued when the region was going through the hubbub of electioneering in the aftermath of devastating October 2005 earthquake, "the government was pleased to grant exemption to the retired chief secretaries from taking out licences for possession of up to one prohibited bore and two non-prohibited bore weapons, free access to all government guesthouses, rest houses, circuit houses in AJK and Kashmir House Islamabad, pick up and drop facility at Islamabad airport with protocol coverage, provision of a staff car for a maximum of three days during stay at Kashmir House Islamabad, services of a driver and a cook, to be appointed by the beneficiary by himself, for life time."
Although the notification had drawn flak for the reason that being a federal government officer, the AJK chief secretary was not a liability of the cash strapped AJK government, the AJK finance department had granted financial concurrence from March 1, 2007 for creation of six each posts of drivers and cooks in BPS-4 and BPS-1, respectively, for the former chief secretaries.
During posting in AJK, a chief secretary draws his salary from the federal exchequer while his accommodation, vehicles and other facilities are arranged and sponsored by the state government.
The controversial notification was allegedly imitated from a similar document issued by the Punjab government but it carried ambiguities which appeared to have been left unaddressed deliberately, according to official sources.
In May 2008, the S&GAD had sought a decision from Prime Minister Attique regarding revocation or protraction of the said notification after withdrawal of financial concurrence to the new posts by the finance department.
However, the move was shelved after opposition by the then chief secretary Javed Majeed. Ironically, the prime minister had also seconded the opinion of his confidant chief secretary.
The fresh notification, according to sources, was issued to remove the “ambiguities” in the initial (June 2006) document to extend these benefits to all those chief secretaries who had either retired from service during their posting in AJK or had held this office prior to their retirement from any other position in Pakistan.
However, even the fresh notification had deliberately overlooked another important issue regarding the place of permanent residence of former AJK chief secretaries after their retirement from the Central Superior Services.
Official sources lamented that while AJK was facing severe resources constraints the government was issuing such notifications only to please the federal government officers from the taxpayers’ money.
When contacted, a source in the finance department told this scribe that they will have to arrange funds for provision of these facilities to at least eight former AJK chief secretaries.
“We are born to serve and we cannot raise any objection,” remarked the source , cynically.
According to official record, of the nearly 39 chief secretaries who served in AJK after 1947, the only one who rose to this position from the AJK services was Mr Abdul Haq Suharwardy (1969-71) while the rest were CSP officers.
Ends
Friday, June 3, 2011
Just three weeks before polls, AJK PM appoints three more advisers
By Tariq Naqash
MUZAFFARABAD, June 3: AJK Prime Minister Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan on Friday appointed three leaders of his Muslim Conference (MC) as his advisers with the status of minister, raising the number of unelected flag-holders in the region to six.
Chaudhry Mohammad Rasheed from Neelum Valley and Hassan Bashir Khan and Syed Bashir Andrabi from the Kashmiri refugees settled in Pakistan were administered oath by the premier at a ceremony in Kashmir House Islamabad.
The appointments which came just three weeks before the polling day drew flaks from the opposition parties.
However, interestingly, while the PML-N greeted the move with scathing criticism, response by the PPAJK was comparatively soft.
“These appointments amount to pre-poll rigging as the purpose is to manipulate the polls at the cost of taxpayers’ money and we call upon the chief election commissioner to take serious stock of it,” said PML-N chief organiser Raja Farooq Haider.
He alleged that Sardar Attique was already running a minority government and there was no need to burden the exchequer with the appointment of unelected advisers at a time when election was hardly three weeks away.
According to him, the AJK premier was taking these steps with the backing of the federal government which lent credence to his (Mr Haider’s) repeated allegations in the past in this regard.
However, when this scribe contacted PPAJK’s senior vice president Chaudhry Mohammad Yasin for his comments, he said: “It’s an immoral act but it’s the prerogative of the prime minister to appoint advisers.”
MC’s chief organizer Fida Hussain Kiani said the appointments were “neither immoral, nor unconstitutional.”
“He is prime minister till his successor enters upon this office and he can take any step for smooth functioning of his government,” Mr Kiani said.
It may be recalled that Sardar Attique has recently withdrawn his candidate in PPAJK president Chaudhry Abdul Majeed’s constituency under what was said from both sides a “policy of harmony and rapprochement.”
Similarly, the MC has also declared its support to Speaker Chaudhry Anwaar ul Haq, PPAJK candidate from Bhimber city.
Highly placed sources told Dawn that the premier wanted to appoint five advisers but his well-wishers in the federal government suggested him to cut short that number.
Earlier on April 30, the prime minister had appointed Deevan Chughtai and Malik Karamat from Hattian Bala and Kotli districts, respectively, as his advisers. Mr Chughtai is MC candidate in the June 26 polls. Prior to them, Raja Aftab Akram from Kotli, also an MC candidate, was appointed as adviser.
Appointments of such advisers in AJK are provided in the Rules of Business 1985. However, the AJK’s interim Act 1974 has mention of only one adviser - Plebiscite Adviser.
It may also be mentioned here that the current strength of Prime Minister Sardar Attique’s initially 23-member cabinet has reduced to 16, after the recent removals and resignations of 7 ministers.
Ends
MUZAFFARABAD, June 3: AJK Prime Minister Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan on Friday appointed three leaders of his Muslim Conference (MC) as his advisers with the status of minister, raising the number of unelected flag-holders in the region to six.
Chaudhry Mohammad Rasheed from Neelum Valley and Hassan Bashir Khan and Syed Bashir Andrabi from the Kashmiri refugees settled in Pakistan were administered oath by the premier at a ceremony in Kashmir House Islamabad.
The appointments which came just three weeks before the polling day drew flaks from the opposition parties.
However, interestingly, while the PML-N greeted the move with scathing criticism, response by the PPAJK was comparatively soft.
“These appointments amount to pre-poll rigging as the purpose is to manipulate the polls at the cost of taxpayers’ money and we call upon the chief election commissioner to take serious stock of it,” said PML-N chief organiser Raja Farooq Haider.
He alleged that Sardar Attique was already running a minority government and there was no need to burden the exchequer with the appointment of unelected advisers at a time when election was hardly three weeks away.
According to him, the AJK premier was taking these steps with the backing of the federal government which lent credence to his (Mr Haider’s) repeated allegations in the past in this regard.
However, when this scribe contacted PPAJK’s senior vice president Chaudhry Mohammad Yasin for his comments, he said: “It’s an immoral act but it’s the prerogative of the prime minister to appoint advisers.”
MC’s chief organizer Fida Hussain Kiani said the appointments were “neither immoral, nor unconstitutional.”
“He is prime minister till his successor enters upon this office and he can take any step for smooth functioning of his government,” Mr Kiani said.
It may be recalled that Sardar Attique has recently withdrawn his candidate in PPAJK president Chaudhry Abdul Majeed’s constituency under what was said from both sides a “policy of harmony and rapprochement.”
Similarly, the MC has also declared its support to Speaker Chaudhry Anwaar ul Haq, PPAJK candidate from Bhimber city.
Highly placed sources told Dawn that the premier wanted to appoint five advisers but his well-wishers in the federal government suggested him to cut short that number.
Earlier on April 30, the prime minister had appointed Deevan Chughtai and Malik Karamat from Hattian Bala and Kotli districts, respectively, as his advisers. Mr Chughtai is MC candidate in the June 26 polls. Prior to them, Raja Aftab Akram from Kotli, also an MC candidate, was appointed as adviser.
Appointments of such advisers in AJK are provided in the Rules of Business 1985. However, the AJK’s interim Act 1974 has mention of only one adviser - Plebiscite Adviser.
It may also be mentioned here that the current strength of Prime Minister Sardar Attique’s initially 23-member cabinet has reduced to 16, after the recent removals and resignations of 7 ministers.
Ends
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