ISLAMABAD: The poll body has revised - from today (Friday) to the coming Tuesday - the date of verdict announcement in a case regarding the transfer of the election tribunal that heard alleged foul play on three National Assembly seats of Islamabad in the general polls.
A four-member Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja reserved verdict in this case on October 24 on the related petitions from three Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) legislators seeking transfer of their respective cases from Islamabad ET, comprising Islamabad High Court Judge (IHC) Justice Tariq Mahmood Jahangiri, to another ET.
Previously, three Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders; Amir Mughal, Shoaib Shaheen and Ali Bukhari, who contested the February 8th General Elections respectively on NA-46, 47 and 48 seats of the federal capital, moved the ECP against the allegedly massive foul play on these seats in the elections. The three contestants respectively lost to PML-N’s Anjum Aqeel Khan, Tariq Fazal Chaudhry and Raja Khurram Nawaz allegedly under highly questionable circumstances.
The case was referred to the only ET in Islamabad comprising Justice Jahangiri. During the case proceedings, the ET raised serious questions related to alleged lack of transparency on three Islamabad NA seats in the general polls.
The PML-N lawmakers moved the ECP with the application to change the ET, which the poll body allowed, moving the case to an ET comprising an ex-judge. The PTI leaders moved the IHC against this move. The IHC first issued stay in this case, and directed Justice Jahangiri to continue hearing this case, but later referred this case back to the ECP with the direction to hear the case afresh.
On the night of February 8th, when the results of the general polls were being announced, the PTI-backed candidates were reportedly leading the poll charts with heavy margins against their respective electoral rivals in different constituencies across the country when the ECP’s much-hyped Election Management System (EMS) suddenly broke down— and the poll body stopped the announcement of results. Several hours later, when the EMS was restored, the PTI-candidates lost the polls, as per the ECP results.
The ECP is since under fire from public and political circles, as well as, international stakeholders over allegedly massive rigging in the general polls. Several mainstream political parties and international observers have demanded a comprehensive audit of these elections. The ECP has rejected the poll rigging allegations.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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