I was penalised once, it’s ECP’s turn now, says Ayaz Sadiq

Electoral body incapable, dishonest’

LAHORE: Speaker National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq on Sunday said that sending the election case to the election tribunal without hearing his point of view demonstrates the incompetence and dishonesty on the part of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). He said he was penalised once and now the ECP will have to bear the brunt.

Talking to the media here, the speaker said the ECP understands the language of threats, not love, adding that he wouldn’t be using such a language had the ECP “any understanding of justice”. He said the PTI wants to use the backdoor and the ECP facilitated it, adding that the PTI leaders didn’t deem it appropriate to involve his lawyer.

“Sending the case to the election tribunal without hearing us is the ECP’s incapability and dishonesty,” he said. “I wasn’t made aware if there was any petition. What should I call this other than dishonesty?”

Ayaz Sadiq said he would consider going before the ECP on December 22.

It merits mentioning here that the election tribunal has sent notices to Ayaz Sadiq for December 22 over election irregularities and rigging allegations in the NA-122 by-election. The election tribunal’s head Rashid Qamar has started hearing the PTI leader Abdul Aleem Khan’s petition over the by-election. The petition pleads nullification of the result while levelling the allegations of rigging.

Reportedly, Aleem Khan had filed a petition in the ECP which was sent by the commission to the election tribunal for processing. The petition alleges that rigging took place in the NA-122 by-election, adding that over 30,000 votes were transferred in and out of the constituency. It says the ECP only has a record of 7,000 transfers of votes.