SC to hear case of Qasim Suri separately

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday, while hearing the election petitions of several Parliamentarians, separated the case of Deputy Speaker National Assembly Qasim Suri and held that the matter will be taken up within two weeks.

A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Umer Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel heard the election petitions of some 78 legislators and held that the matter of Qasim Suri, Deputy Speaker National Assembly, will be heard separately.

The counsel for Nawabzada Lashkari Raisani, the opponent of Qasim Suri, told the court that Qasim Suri was disqualified by the Election Tribunal but he is still holding the office of deputy speaker.

Naeem Bukhari, counsel for Qasim Suri, requested the court to separate the matter of his client from other cases, adding that the point in all the cases is related to an identical law point regarding the verification of the election petition.

The counsel, however, contended that the matter of his client also relates to merit, which should be taken into account. Naeem Bukhari submitted that an election petition filed against his client in the Election Tribunal at which his client had raised the issue of verification before the Election Tribunal stating that the petition was not verified.

He, however, submitted that the Election Tribunal, while rejecting the plea of his client, de-seated him. It means that Qasim Suri was a returned candidate but the Election Tribunal had de-seated him.

Advocate Hamid Khan told the court that it was the mandate of the Election Tribunal to deal with the election petitions, adding that if the petition is not verified, then it could be returned for correction before issuing notices to the concerned parties.

Meanwhile, the court adjourned the hearing on all the election petitions for date in office (Indefinite period).

It is pertinent to mention here that on October 7, 2019, a three-member bench of the apex court headed by Justice Umer Ata Bandial had suspended the order of an election tribunal declaring the election of Deputy Speaker National Assembly Qasim Suri from NA-265 (Quetta) as null and void.

On September 27, 2019, the Election Tribunal Quetta had declared the election of NA Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri from NA-265 (Quetta - II) as null and void and ordered re-election in the constituency.

After the Supreme Court suspended the order of the election tribunal de-seating Qasim Suri, he has been holding the office as Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly.

Qasim Suri had won the election in 2018 against Balochistan National Party leader Nawabzada Lashkari Raisani, who had challenged the results. Raisani had alleged that Suri had won the election by rigging the polls.