Gillani's victory in Senate polls challenged in IHC

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 to Islamabad High Court (IHC) challenging the victory of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)'s leader Yousaf Raza Gillani in the Senate elections.

The petitioner had prayed the court to stop Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) from issuance of notification for the victory of Gillani and also disqualify his son Syed Ali Haider Gillani 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 Haider Gillani was found involved in horse trading to rig Senate polls and a video was surfaced in media before two days of the elections.

It further said the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was a constitutional institution and it was its responsibility to ensure fairness in elections.

The petition said Ali Gillani 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 offers' had attracted the members to vote Yousaf Raza Gillani.

The petitioner requested the court to ask the ECP that why the nomination papers of Gillani were accepted. It also prayed the court to declare the victory of Gillani as void and stop ECP from issuing the notification in that regard.

The petition prayed the court to direct the ECP for taking legal action against Yousaf Raza Gillani and his son Ali Haider Gilani under elections act.

He also prayed the court to disqualify Ali Gilani from the membership of Punjab assembly.