ECP suspends BA Speaker Achakzai’s victory notification

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Tuesday formally suspended notification of Abdul Khaliq Khan Achakzai, who was elected MPA from PB-51, Chaman till outcome of re-poll at 12 polling stations, fixed for April 21.

Achakzai, a returned candidate of PMLN, who was supported by PPP as well, was elected speaker of the provincial assembly, later on. According to the ECP, the re-poll will be held at polling stations 56, 57, 61, 62, 79, 89, 90, 91, 95, 106, 129 and 130 of the PB-51 constituency. The directive for the re-election was issued after his victory was challenged by not one or two, but three contenders, namely Muhammad Asghar Achakzai of the Awami National Party (ANP), Abasin Achakzai, and Muhammad Sadiq, who were defeated in the general election for the PB-51 seat.

The ECP, through a notification, issued on April 16, suspended the earlier notification, concerning Achakzai’s victory pursuant to a two-member ECP bench, consisting of Nisar Ahmad Durrani and Babar Hassan Bharwana, heard the petitions filed by the three opposing candidates.

They called for re-polling at specified polling stations.

The bench subsequently ordered suspension of his official victory notification till outcome of the re-poll and further orders of the ECP.

Meanwhile, the ECP has issued a notification to the extent of declaring Sadaf Ihsan as a returned candidate for the seat reserved for women in the National Assembly (NA) from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. And, hence it withdrew its notification of March 11, 2024, whereby it had suspended its notification, issued on March 4, declaring her as a returned candidate.

The ECP had suspended her notification, following a complaint filed by JUIF Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, claiming she did not belong to his party and that her name was not in the priority list of the party’s candidates for women reserved seats.