PTI challenges Gilani’s victory in Senate election

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Capital Development Authority (CDA) Affairs and Member National Assembly Ali Nawaz Awan on Tuesday moved a petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) challenging the victory of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)'s leader Yusuf Raza Gilani in the Senate elections.

The petitioner prayed the court to stop Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) from issuance of notification for the victory of Gilani and also disqualify his son Syed Ali Haider Gilani from the membership of provincial assembly for alleged horse trading in the Senate polls.

Advocate Aamer Aziz Ansari filed the petition on behalf of the petitioner. The petition said Ali Gilani was found involved in horse-trading to rig the Senate election and a video was surfaced in media two days before the polls.

It further said the ECP was a constitutional institution and it was its responsibility to ensure fairness in elections. The petition said Ali Gilani had admitted about the meeting with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)'s lawmaker in a press conference on March 2. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Maryam Nawaz had also admitted that 'her party tickets offer' had attracted the members to vote Yusuf Raza Gilani.

The petitioner requested the court to ask the ECP as to why the nomination papers of Gilani were accepted. It also prayed the court to declare the victory of Gilani as void and stop the ECP from issuing the notification in that regard. The petition prayed the court to direct the ECP for taking legal action against Gilani and his son under the elections act.