PTI picks up third wicket with tribunal ruling on NA-154

MULTAN: Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan secured a 'third wicket' on Wednesday with the election tribunal announcing its verdict on alleged rigging in NA-154 constituency of Lodhran in favour of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

A short order issued by Justice (retd) Rana Zahid Mehmood declared the academic degree of returned candidate Siddique Khan Baloch as fake and his election from the National Assembly constituency in the 2013 polls null and void.

Baloch had obtained 86,177 votes in the 2013 general elections while PTI candidate Jehangir Khan Tareen bagged 75,955 votes. Later, the winning candidate joined the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N).

Jehangir Khan Tareen rejected the election result and filed an application with the Election Commission of Pakistan for recounting of votes. The Lodhran district returning officer conducted the recounting after which Siddique Khan Baloch got 1,000 more votes.

But Tareen also rejected the recounting and filed a petition in the election tribunal, stating the election was rigged. He also challenged the academic degree of Siddique Khan Baloch.

The election tribunal reserved the judgment on the last hearing on August 22 and fixed August 26 (today) for announcing the verdict.

The verdict effectively de-seats independent lawmaker Siddique Khan Baloch, who had later joined the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

The tribunal’s ruling becomes the 'third wicket' for the cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan's PTI, after the party received similar verdicts on two its petitions on two other constituencies.

In May, an election tribunal annulled the results of the NA-125 constituency where PML-N leader Khawaja Saad Rafique had returned as the winning candidate in the 2013 general elections.

PTI chairman Imran Khan was jubilant when a Lahore election tribunal declared the NA-122 election null and void from where National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq had won the election.