Firdous headed meetings in AC Daska's office: ECP report on NA-75 by-elections

• AC's office was centre of Firdous Awan's plenary sessions: report.
• "Illegal activities" took place at AC's office, says report. 
• District administration "in loop" of events that transpired during by-polls.
• Government approached DC to ensure "level playing field".

Former special assistant to the chief minister of Punjab Firdous Ashiq Awan chaired meetings in the Daska assistant commissioner's office, where "illegal" activities were planned for the Daska by-election, a fact-finding report revealed Monday.

The report, issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), said the AC's office was the centre for Awan's plenary sessions.

In another report released on Saturday, the ECP had said the staff employed for election duty from the education department — including Muhammad Iqbal Kaloya, Deputy Director (Colleges), Sialkot — was found involved in attending meetings at the AC House, "which were meant for manipulating the election process", in which Ali Abbas, Zeeshan Javed, Asif Hussain, Firdous Awan, Muhammad Awais, and some other persons were present.

Special Secretary Higher Education Commission Naeem Ghaus had also summoned the presiding officers and had "managed them", the fact-finding committee's report said.

The assistant commissioner was in contact with "suspicious characters", the report said.

Govt approached DC

Sitting governments exert pressure on election personnel, and the incumbent government approached me as well, former Sialkot deputy commissioner (DC) Zeeshan Javaid admitted to the committee.

The report stated: "DC Sialkot admitted that normally the sitting governments used to exert pressure in by-elections, and they also approached him as well."

The ECP had, earlier in the day, said it would initiate departmental proceedings or criminal proceedings, or both against officials involved in the Daska by-polls fiasco.

The decision came after the ECP had released an inquiry report last week, revealing that the NA-75 Sialkot-IV by-election held in Daska on February 19 was not held in a fair, free, and transparent manner.

Meanwhile, the fact-finding report found that the district administration was "in the loop" regarding the happening of all "undesired and illegal" incidents during the by-election at "some level".

The presence of former DC Sialkot at a suspicious location is "a big question mark" on his neutrality despite him categorically denying it, the report said.

Although he claims no involvement, the former DC "could not prove" his absence from that suspicious place as the call detail record of his mobile obtained from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority revealed that his official mobile was used in that vicinity for hours during the night between 19 and 20 February, the report said.

'Level playing field'

The former DC told the fact-finding committee that PTI's Aslam Iqbal had demanded "a level playing field" during the by-election as the constituency was a stronghold of the PML-N.

"Deputy Secretary Chief Minister Office Ali Abbas had contacted me several times and visited my office 5-6 times during his visits to Sialkot," the former DC said, according to the report.

The report further mentioned that the DC said PTI did not exert pressure on him as they had only asked him to manage the elections properly.

AC 'frightened' AEOs, POs

Moreover, circumstantial evidence and statements of the assistant education officers (AEOs) presiding offices (PO) have revealed that the assistant returning officer (ARO) and former Daska assistant commissioner were "aware" of the forthcoming that would "devastate" the law and order situation in the constituency, the report said.

"He [AC] in light of that gave certain very specific directions on 17 February 2021 to the AEOs/POs, which being the part of record perplexed their minds and also frightened them," the report said.

By imparting unlawful directions to the polling personnel, the AC, according to the report, was "harassing the AEOs/POs" and convincing them to act in the manner as per his directions and "pressurizing them to follow the instructions of Mrs Farkhanda Yasmeen and Mr Hamid Raza as and when communicated to them."

The report mentioned that even passing of the aforesaid illegal directions by the AC were not less than a "criminal act on his part".

Police 'already knew' about law and order situation

Moreover, the district police officer (DPO) "deliberately" submitted the security plan to the returning officer's (RO) office too late in order to avoid any objection, query, and pinpointing of loop-holes, the report said.

The DPO and SP (investigation) remained at their homes on the polling day and showed their "least concern" about the law and order situation at the crucial time of by-election, it said.

"So, it could be apprehended that they both already knew that what will happen on the poll day in city Daska regarding worsening of law and order that is why they deliberately let the situation turn untoward as per plan and did not take any substantial initiative to maintain it," the report mentioned.

The district police were also aware of the incidents which had to take place on the polling day and they either "willfully or halfheartedly" became part and parcel of its execution, it said.

The report mentioned the fact-finding committee had reached the conclusion as "no concrete steps" were not taken by the district police to stop such untoward incidents which took place during the polling day.

Police officers 'manhandled' election personnel

Unauthorised police officers and personnel from district police or special branch were found involved in violation of the SOPs of the code of conduct and security plan, it said.

"They had entered the premises of the polling stations, talked with the polling personnel in-person or through mobile, manhandled them, transported them in private cars to some suspicious place, kept them at that place for hours instead of taking them straight to the RO’s office," the report said.

"The disbursement of money among the stakeholders for achieving the ulterior motives at different stages cannot be overruled altogether as reflected in the statements of AEOs/POs etc.," the report concluded.