MULTAN: The million-dollar question is that would the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf be able to get the third wicket in the next 24 hours or not as the Multan election tribunal is going to announce verdict regarding NA-154 rigging today (Wednesday). 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. After the NA-122 verdict, the excited Imran Khan indicated that the third wicket would fall soon without mentioning NA-154. Independent candidate Siddique Khan Baloch had won the elections by obtaining 86,177 votes in the general elections while PTI candidate Jehangir Khan Tareen bagged 75,955 votes. Later, the independent candidate joined the 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. Resultantly, Siddique Khan Baloch got 1,000 more votes. Jehangir Khan Tareen also rejected the recounting and filed a petition in the election tribunal, stating the election was rigged. He also challenged the degree of Siddique Khan Baloch. The first hearing was held on August 15, 2013. The election tribunal ordered verification of thumb impressions on May 21, 2014. In the meantime, Siddique Khan Baloch got stay order from the LHC Multan bench. Jehangir Khan Tareen challenged the stay order in the Supreme Court, which the apex court vacated in June 2014. The National Database and Registration Authority submitted a 700-page thumb verification report to the election tribunal in October last. The Nadra report confirmed that 218,256 votes were polled at 290 polling stations. At least 122,133 votes and thumb impressions were found mismatched due to substandard ink. The Nadra report found irregularities in 20,601 votes due to incorrect CNIC numbers on ballot papers’ counter files. The Nadra report also detected that dual votes were polled by 728 voters while 578 votes were without thumb impressions. As many as 121 votes were found from other constituency and they were not registered in NA-154. The Nadra report verified only 73,707 votes out of 218,256 polled votes. The election tribunal reserved the judgment on the last hearing on August 22 and fixed August 26 for announcing the verdict.
