ISLAMABAD: PML-N Senator Dr Musadik Malik and PPP Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar claimed Friday that cameras have been installed in polling booths set up for the election of the Senate chairman and deputy chairman.
The senators had shared apparent evidence on Twitter hours before the Senate was set to elect it’s new chairman and deputy chairman.
“What a freaking joke. The senate polling booth has secret /hidden cameras installed, ” tweeted Dr Musadik Malik along with the pictures of cameras.
The PML-N senator also claimed that there was a “hidden device” in the polling booth.
The PPP senator claimed that he and the PML-N senator had found “spy cameras right over the polling booth”.
The two leaders, after posting the pictures on Twitter, also held a press conference outside Parliament House once the Senate session started.
Dr Malik said that both PML-N and PPP had directed them to check the polling booth before the election of the Senate chairman.
“Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar and I went to the polling station on direction of our parties to check the polling booth,” said Dr Malik.
The PML-N senator said that when they arrived at the booth, there were “hidden cameras” right above the polling booth.
“Both were pointing exactly towards the person voting and the second hidden camera was focused on the ballot paper,” said Dr Malik.
“Who is it who put up cameras in the booth,” asked the PML-N senator. He also claimed that there was a lamp inside the polling booth with “holes” in it, adding that there were many microphones and cameras in it.
The PML-N leader called on the police to take the cameras as “evidence” and called for the opening of a “device” stuck in the booth in front of the opposition so they could see what was in it.
On the other hand, Khokhar said the important thing to note is that the House’s security is focused on the Senate chairman, secretary and head of security.
“An investigation should be held on how this security breach was done,” said Khokhar. He also asked that investigation be held to see if these three people were involved in this breach.
“If the polling booth was protected by current the chairman and his men, this means a plan was there to steal the election,” claimed the senator.
He added that both the parties’ senators will hold consultations after taking their oaths on who should investigate the matter.
“We will hold consultations on this with lawyers present in the senate. [We will discuss] whether house should investigate this by including senators or should the police investigate it,” said the PPP senator. He added that under the Election Act of 2017 “tampering with secrecy of vote is a crime”
‘James Bond 007’: PTI alleges Opposition ‘deliberately staged drama of hidden cameras’
ISLAMABAD: Reacting to the Opposition’s allegations regarding the installation of hidden cameras inside polling booths for today’s elections for Senate chairman and deputy chairman, the PTI has alleged that the cameras were deployed by the Opposition leaders themselves only “to stage a drama” later on.
Federal Minister for Information Shibli Faraz addressed a press conference flanked by PTI senator Faisal Javed in Islamabad to speak on the matter.
The information minister noted that the opposition has given an impression that the cameras were deployed by the government.
“We will make sure that this incident is thoroughly investigated. We all know what people were employed inside the building during their [the PPP’s] tenure. We will expose who the agents and proxies of PPP and PML-N are,” he said.
“They are the ones who talk about tactics to waste votes. Our main objective is transparency and that is what PM Imran Khan has been struggling for for so long,” the minister added.
Referring to Opposition, the minister said: “These are the people who won the election in the National Assembly despite being in a minority. These people are struggling to hide their corruption.”
He went on to add that such incidents will reoccur until and unless the concept of open balloting is not introduced and transparency is ensured in elections.
Meanwhile, Faisal Javed said the government has offered the option for open balloting but Opposition leaders have always declined the suggestion.
“We challenge them on open balloting but they are not ready for it. All they want is an NRO [amnesty deal] from Imran Khan.”
Referring to PML-N Senator Dr Musadik Malik and PPP Senator Mustafa Nawaz as “James Bond 007”, the PTI leader claimed that everything was pre-planned by the Opposition.
“They are the ones yearning for secret ballot, [devious] tactics and conspiracies,” he added.
Shortly before the government representatives held their press conference, PML-N Senator Dr Musadik Malik and PPP Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar had addressed the media to claim that cameras were installed in polling booths set up for the election of the Senate chairman and deputy chairman.
The senators had shared what they described as ‘evidence’ on Twitter hours before the Senate was set to elect its chairman and deputy chairman.
“What a […] joke. The senate polling booth has secret /hidden cameras installed, ” tweeted Dr Musadik Malik along with pictures of the said cameras.
Meanwhile, newly-elected members of the Upper House took oath after the Senate session began at 10:00am.
Polls for the Senate chairman and deputy chairman seats will be conducted at 3pm by Senate secretariat officials.
PTI’s Sadiq Sanjrani and Mirza Muhammad Afridi and the joint opposition’s Yousaf Raza Gillani and Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri will be fighting for the slots of Senate chairman and deputy chairman, respectively.
