PML-N, PTI pleas rejected as ‘non-maintainable’

NA-122, PP-147 by-polls

Aleem Khan says he will challenge verdict in SC

LAHORE: An election tribunal on Tuesday rejected an election petition “as non-maintainable”, filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Aleem Khan, seeking declaration of by-polls in NA-122 null and void.

The News learnt through Anees Hashmi, counsel for Aleem Khan, that tribunal judge Qamar Rasheed Mehboobi, in a verbal order, rejected the PTI plea. The judge stated that the electoral list cannot be challenged through an election petition and the verification of the petition was not correct.

The counsel told this scribe the PTI was likely to challenge this judgment in the apex court after getting the written judgment, expected in a couple of days.

Meanwhile, the same tribunal dismissed a petition of PML-N’s Mohsin Latif, runner-up candidate, in PP-147 by-polls, on the same ground of non-maintainability.

In PP-147, PTI’s Muhammad Shoaib Siddiqui had defeated Mohsin Latif in by-polls, as he got 31,964 votes, while Latif got 28,402 votes.

Furthermore, the tribunal also dismissed another petition of PML-N’s Khwaja Salman Rafiq against the victory of PTI’s Murad Raas from PP-152, Lahore.

PTI’s Murad Raas had defeated Salman Rafique in general elections, held on May 11, by obtaining 36,977 votes, while his opponent got 34,667 votes.

Aleem Khan’s petition alleged that at least 30,000 votes were cancelled and shifted from NA-122 before the by-election, held on Oct 11, 2015. He said the ECP had record of shifting of only 7,000 votes from the constituency. He alleged that the ECP act was pre-poll rigging.

He asked the tribunal to set aside the result of the by-election on the grounds of the alleged rigging, committed in the by-polls. He said the PML-N committed technical rigging during the by-elections.

On the other hand, National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq’s counsel opposed the petition, arguing that the electoral lists could not be challenged after holding of election. He claimed that Aleem Khan’s petition was non-maintainable.

Faizan Bangash adds: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf ticket-holder for NA-122 Lahore by-polls, Abdul Aleem Khan, while rejecting the election tribunal decision over his petition against alleged rigging, stated on Tuesday that the verdict was nothing but mockery of voters.

Addressing a press conference, Aleem said the tribunal gave verdict without listening to the PTI viewpoint and it would be challenged in the court.

 He said various decisions including those in NA-101, NA-110 constituencies petitions were frustrating, but the way the PTI petition was treated in NA-122 had put a serious question mark over justice provision.