Farooq Sattar petitions against Aamir Liaquat's victory in NA-245

KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement–Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Farooq Sattar on Saturday challenged the results of five national assembly and provincial constituencies, including NA-245, Karachi.

The former party convener filed petitions against the poll results of NA-241 (Korangi Karachi-III), NA-245 (Karachi East-IV), PS-97 (Korangi Karachi-VI), PS-136 (Karachi Central-IV) and PS-130 (Karachi Central-VIII).

Speaking to the media outside Sindh High Court after filing petitions, he raised that victories in those constituencies were a result of poll rigging, adding he will provide evidence and witnesses in the election tribunal.

"Several MQM-P leader were defeated through rigging during the July 25 polls,”he said, alleging “during counting, results were changed and victories were turned into defeats."

In his petition, Sattar requested that the victory notification issued for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Amir Liaquat Hussain be dismissed, objecting that Form 45 was not provided to any polling agent and 22,000 ballot papers from the constituency were misplaced in the election gimmick.

He stated that he is hopeful that the court will reciprocate to his petitions, expecting that the decision will end up in his favour.

In the elections, candidates from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI): Faheem Khan (NA-241), Amir Liaquat Hussain (NA-245), Raja Azhar Khan (PS-97), Omar Omairi (PS-126) and Mohammad Riaz Haider (PS-130) had defeated MQM-P’s Moeen Amir Peerzada, Sattar, Waqar Shah, Asif Ali Khan and Jamal Ahmed respectively.

Hussain had speared the NA-245 constituency with 56,615 votes, leaving behind Sattar who bagged 35,247 votes during the general election.

Earlier this month, Sattar announced that PTI has offered him their party ticket to contest for the NA-247 latency, which went void after PTI's Arif Alvi presidential victory in elections 2018.

“They want me to contest from Alvi’s seat. I am consulting with close aides,” Sattar said.