(Karachi) The Pakistan Peoples Party has filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) challenging the rejection of votes in recently-held Senate chairman election, local media reported on Monday.

The petition was moved by former prime minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani through his counsel Farooq H Naek.

In the petition, Naek has requested the high court to declare the result of the election of Senate chairman held on March 12 as “illegal, unlawful and void”.

He stated that the IHC should declare the rejection of seven votes polled in favour of the petitioner illegal and suspend the notification dated March 13 regarding the re-election of Sadiq Sanjrani as Senate chairman and restrain him from carrying out his duties in this capacity until this petition is decided.

He said that the government attempted to influence the result of Senate chairman's election.

“During the process of counting of votes the Presiding Officer (Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah) arbitrarily rejected 7 of the votes (the rejected votes) cast in the petitioner’s favour on the ground that stamp is affixed on the name of the petitioner despite protest of the petitioner’s polling agent Senator Farooq H. Naek that the stamp had been fixed within the box containing the name of the petitioner,” he contended.

“The votes rejected by the presiding officer clearly evince the voter’s intent to vote for the petitioner and no one else,” the petitioner argued. Moreover, he added, these are in compliance with the notice affixed near the polling booth as well as the understanding conveyed by the Senate secretary.