NA-122 rigging case verdict reserved

LAHORE
An election tribunal Monday reserved verdict in NA-122 alleged rigging case after counsel for National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq concluded his arguments.
PTI chairman Imran Khan had filed an election petition before the tribunal challenging the victory of Sadiq in 2013 elections. Khan alleged that the victory of the returned candidate was a result of massive rigging.
Barrister Asjad Saeed, the speaker’s counsel, in his final arguments stated that reports of all inspections carried out by local commission and National Database and Regulatory Authority (Nadra) found no rigging element from the election record of the constituency.
To a tribunal’s query about counterfoils recovered without thumb impressions and identity card numbers of the voters, the counsel said the result of the election would remain same even if the votes cast against those counterfoils excluded from the total count. He pointed out that the total sum of doubtful counterfoils was 1124 only.
Barrister Saeed said the petitioner, Imran Khan, did not mention his allegations about alleged rigging in NA-122 before the judicial commission formed by the government on the PTI’s demand.
He said Nadra chairman stated before the commission that the proportion of valid polling in country was 97 per cent. Whereas, he said, the Nadra chairman, when appeared before the tribunal, had maintained that proportion of the valid votes in NA-122 was 99 per cent.
He said the alleged irregularities committed by the election staff could not be attributed to the returned candidate. He said his client was not the beneficiary of the alleged irregularities but the PTI chief, Imran Khan, the petitioner. If there was no irregularity, Khan would not have any ground for his petition, the counsel added.
Barrister Saeed said the PTI chief accused presiding officers of corrupt practices but never asked the tribunal to summon them for their witness in the case. He said the tribunal could not give any decision against the election officers without hearing them. In this case, counsel of Imran Khan had already concluded his arguments. The tribunal would announce the verdict in both cases, NA-122 and PP-147, on Saturday.