PMLN minority reserved seat: SC sends polls dispute matter to ECP

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) Thursday sent the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) an election matter dispute between two candidates of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) on the minority reserved seat of the National Assembly (NA) from Balochistan.

A three-member SC bench, headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, heard a case between PMLN's Ashok Kumar and Patrick Masih regarding a dispute over the NA minority seat from Balochistan.

Advocate Hafiz Ehsan Khokhar appeared on behalf of the petitioner Patrick Masih and told the court that PMLN's provincial leadership had put Ashok Kumar's name in the priority list, but the Central Secretariat sent Patrick Masih's name to the ECP. He contended that according to the law, only the list sent by the party chief was acceptable. The DG Law appeared on behalf of the ECP and informed the court that legally the list was acceptable, which was sent by the party head. But, in the case under consideration, the list from the party head was received after the stipulated timeframe.

Meanwhile, the court referred the matter to the ECP directing it to listen to the parties and decide the matter in accordance with the law.