Islamabad authorities sealed the office of Pattan, a civil society organization, on Friday, citing its “illegal” operations. Officials stated that the NGO had been dissolved in 2019 and that no court had reversed this decision.
Pattan Coalition-38 is a network comprising civil society organizations, labor unions, community-based groups, and intellectuals. The administration confirmed that its office in Sector F-15 was sealed due to its continued operations despite the dissolution order.
Earlier this month, Pattan released a report titled “War on Voters?” on the February 8 general elections, calling for a commission of inquiry to investigate allegations of electoral rigging. The report urged the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to probe the claims made by Rawalpindi Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chattah, who had accused the ECP chief and a former top judge of involvement.
The report also called upon human rights and women’s rights organizations, the National Commission on the Status of Women, UN Women, and the UNDP to push for the immediate allocation of reserved seats for women and minorities without delays.
This same report was referenced by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in a dossier submitted to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi.
In response, the Election Commission of Pakistan dismissed Pattan’s findings as “baseless and fabricated propaganda” aimed at discrediting institutions. An ECP spokesperson stated that the organization should have sought the Commission’s viewpoint before publishing the report.
The spokesperson further emphasized that the ECP would not be influenced by such tactics and would continue its work in accordance with constitutional and legal frameworks. He alleged that Pattan and its officials were part of an organized effort to undermine national institutions.
Additionally, he clarified that the ECP had published Forms 46, 45, and 47 from the Returning Officers on its website without modifications, and these records remained publicly accessible. He noted that affected parties had already filed petitions in the Election Tribunals, where hearings were ongoing, and some verdicts had already been issued.
