ISLAMABAD: The electoral entity has allowed the applications of three Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmakers elected on the National Assembly seats from the federal capital to transfer the respective cases related to alleged foul play on these seats from a sitting Islamabad High Court (IHC) judge to a retired Lahore High Court (LHC) judge.
The related orders issued by a four-member bench of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday stated that each transfer application was “accepted and the election petition is hereby transferred to the Election Tribunal for Rawalpindi Division comprising of Justice Abdul Shakoor Paracha (retd), and he is conferred the jurisdiction of Islamabad Capital Territory for trial and disposal of election petitions. The previous notification of Election Tribunal comprising of Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri for Islamabad Capital Territory is hereby withdrawn.”
Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, Nisar Ahmed Durrani, Shah Muhammad Jatoi and Justice Ikramullah Khan (retd) issued the three orders that were reserved on 24 October.
Previously, three Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders, Amir Mughal, Shoaib Shaheen and Ali Bukhari, who contested the 8 February general elections respectively on NA-46, 47 and 48 seats of Islamabad, 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 cases were referred to the only ET in Islamabad comprising of Justice Jahangiri. During the 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 accusing the ET of “partiality” and “biasness.”
The poll body allowed their applications, moving the cases to an ET comprising of Paracha, a retired judge LHC. The PTI leaders moved the IHC against this move. The IHC first issued stay in these cases, and directed Justice Jahangiri to continue hearing the cases, but later referred these cases back to the ECP with the direction to hear the case afresh.
On the night of February 8, 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 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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