KARACHI: The National Database and Registration Authority has declared that no vote was cast by anyone else in place of eligible voters in entire PS-128, a provincial assembly seat won by a candidate of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, in the general elections last year.

This was stated in a report on the verification of votes filed by Nadra on Thursday in the Election Tribunal, Karachi.

Headed by former judge of the Sindh High Court Zafar Ahmed Khan Sherwani, the tribunal had ordered the verification of thumbprints on the votes in the 78 polling stations including those six where re-polling was conducted.

The verification of thumb impressions was ordered on the application of a defeated candidate of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), who challenged the victory of Waqar Hussain Shah through an election petition. The MQM candidate had emerged victorious with 23,496 votes.

The PML-N defeated candidate, represented by Advocate Aslam Bhutta, in his election petition submitted that terrorists had attacked the polling stations in the constituency and rigged the elections following the two blasts.

He asked the court to direct the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for re-polling in the whole constituencyand verification of votes through thumb impressions.

However, later the ECP conducted repolling at the six polling stations where a blast had disrupted the polling process on election day.

Nadra was sent the election material including counterfoils, photo electoral rolls and statement of count of 78 polling stations, including the six polling stations where polling was disrupted.

The report stated that as many as 10,470 counterfoils did not qualify for fingerprint matching due to several reasons which did not fall under the purview of Nadra analysis of the election material for thumbprints verification.

It said that 251 counterfoils out of over 9,000 votes cast in the six polling station during re-polling did not qualify for fingerprint matching.

According to the Nadra report, only 12,183 votes cast on the day of general elections in the constituency were authenticated by the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS). It said that only 1,624 out of total votes cast during re-polling were authenticated by the AFIS.

The report said: `No record found failing authentication meaning thereby that no record found where someone else has voted against eligible voter`.

It said that a large number of fingerprints on used counterfoils could not be processed thorough AFIS due to poor quality of fingerprints.The report said that Nadra had proposed to the ECP to use certain features of ink for capturing fingerprints at the time of the issuance of ballot paper. It said that the ink used during the polling process did not possess the required features.

The Nadra report said that the use of poor ink on the general election day resulted in 19,640 bad quality fingerprints which were unable to be processed through the AFIS. However, it said, the CNIC (computerised national identity card) number mentioned on the counterfoils were valid.

The report said that on the re-polling day as many as 1,174 ballots bore bad quality fingerprints and they could not be authenticated by Nadra.

The election tribunal had on Sept 17, 2013 ordered the Nadra to submit it report on the verification of thumbprints.

The bench time and again issued directions to Nadra to submit its report on thumbprints verification. Finally, the court had to issue a notice to the interior secretary on Feb 15 to explain why inordinate delay was being caused in this regard.

Nadra would submit a reply to this effect on Feb 20 when the tribunal would take up the matter for hearing.

It may be mentioned here that an election petition is required to be dispose of within four months of its filing under Section 67 (1-A) of the Representation of the Peoples Act, 1976.