Rigging established: Election tribunal orders re-election in NA-267

Khalid Khan Magsi won as independent candidate and joined PML-N

QUETTA: An election tribunal on Friday declared the results of National Assembly constituency NA-267 (Kachhi-cum-Jhal Magsi) void and ordered re-election. Khalid Khan Magsi had won this seat in the May 11, 2013 parliamentary election as an independent candidate and later joined the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

Magsi’s main rival Abdul Rahim Rind, who was also contesting the elections as an independent candidate, challenged the results in the election tribunal, alleging massive rigging in 32 polling stations of Jhal Magsi and eight of Kacchi.



“Abdul Rahim Rind and others had submitted complaints of massive rigging in Jhal Magsi and Kachhi districts,” Shams Advocate, the lawyer who pleaded Rind’s case, told reporters after the proceedings. “Today, the tribunal declared the results void and ordered re-election in the constituency,” he added.

Rind welcomed the tribunal decision which, he said, would help in bringing a ‘real representative’ of the people from NA-267 in parliament.

According to the Balochistan election commissioner, the judgment has been sent to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) which will set the date for re-election.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 20^th, 2014.