Pattan says its offices sealed for ‘exposing poll rigging’ – Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pattan Development Organisation has said that the house of its chief and its office in Multan have been sealed by authorities in retribution for its report exposing alleged rigging in last year’s general election.

The properties have been sealed on the orders of the Ministry of Interior, the organisation claimed.

The organisation said it does not have any office in Islamabad, as all staff work from home. The address of the house of Pattan’s national coordinator, Sarwar Bari, in the capita is used for correspondence and is mentioned on the organisation’s website.

A Pattan spokesperson said that around two dozen police officials, along with a magistrate, entered the house located in Sector F-10, Islamabad on Friday night and sealed it.

Retribution

Earlier this month, Pattan had published a report on the general elections and described them in a statement as “unprecedentedly rigged” with “vote-rigging, fraud and manipulation”.

The spokesperson claimed the action was retribution for the report.

In Multan, a notice has been placed at the gate of Pattan’s office. The order, issued by Registrar Joint Stock Companies, Multan, stated that the action was taken on the Ministry of Interior’s letter dated Feb 18.

The letter stated that Pattan was dissolved in Nov 2019, and the NGO “did not challenge” the order in any court.

The Pattan spokesperson has said that the NGO never received any notice from the registration authority about its dissolution.

He added that the Election Comm­ission of Pakistan had issued accreditation to Pattan’s election observers, the spokesperson said, adding that all records can be presented to the media.

“Our bank accounts [remained] functional and we even paid taxes to FBR.”

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan criticised the authorities’ action against Pattan and said it was a violation of Article 14(1) of the Constitution.

Published in Dawn, February 23rd, 2025