The government has initiated an inquiry into alleged irregularities at the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) following complaints regarding the council’s election process and overall management. A committee, led by the law minister, has been tasked with reviewing PEC’s performance, addressing grievances, and examining potential gaps in the PEC Act of 1975.
According to reports, the committee, which includes federal ministers and secretaries, will evaluate complaints about election misconduct, procedural violations, and governance concerns. It is expected to submit its report within three weeks.
The inquiry follows allegations that irregularities marred PEC’s August 2024 elections. Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal had complained that a biometric system failure prevented him and several engineers from voting. The Ministry of Interior’s investigation revealed a three-hour system outage, during which unauthorized votes were allegedly cast.
Candidate Jawed Salim Qureshi filed a separate complaint, citing vote rigging, deviation from election protocols, and unauthorized manual voting. However, PEC management dismissed these allegations, stating that a vote recount had already been conducted.
Additional concerns include the extension and promotion of the PEC registrar, which was challenged in the Lahore High Court. The court directed the Ministry of Science and Technology to review the case, which later found the extension irregular. Despite instructions to present the matter before the governing body, PEC management reportedly did not comply.
Other complaints accuse PEC leadership of forming committees without proper authorization, prompting concerns over adherence to bylaws. The committee’s findings will determine whether further action is needed to address governance and procedural lapses within the council.
