Observer Report Islamabad
Secretary Senate Qasim Samad on Friday announced to form a parliamentary committee to probe recovery of ‘spy cameras’ from the Senate hall ahead of knife-edge polls for the chairman and deputy chairman seats. “The committee will ensure transparent probe into the matter.”
PML-N leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi accused Prime Minister Imran Khan and Senate chairman of being involved in the installation of cameras in the Senate on Friday.
“There are no two opinions that Prime Minister Imran Khan and the incumbent Senate chairman, who is also the government’s candidate for Senate chairman, are involved in the installation of the cameras,” Abbasi said during a press conference in Islamabad.
“No less than six cameras were recovered from the polling booths where the senators have to cast their votes today,” he added.
The footage of the past 24 hours of these cameras should be brought forth before the masses, the PML-N leader said, and added, “efforts are on to use the intelligence agencies of the country to steal the election.”
Earlier in the day, Pakistan People’s Party Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar claimed to have recovered ‘spy cameras’ installed in polling booth ahead of crucial Senate chairman and deputy chairman elections.
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.
