Mandate: Independent become parties in NA-122 rigging case

LAHORE:

An election tribunal on Thursday allowed two independent candidates for NA-122 to become party to the hearing of a petition challenging election of National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq. The tribunal took up the petitions filed by Khurram Qureshi and Manzoor Laeequr Rehman, runners-up candidates who had contested independently for NA-122. Both petitioners submitted that they wanted to be party in the case as the mandate given to them by their constituents had been stolen. They challenged the election result, requesting that it be set aside. The tribunal accepted their pleas and allowed them to become parties in the case.  Meanwhile, the election tribunal dismissed petitions of other two candidates, Jamshed Iqbal Hameed and Mian Yameen Tipu, for lack of prosecution. The tribunal adjourned hearing till January 13. Aleem Khan, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf candidate, has moved the petition challenging the election. He had alleged that 30,000 votes were shifted from his constituency. He had said that the election was rigged. He had asked the tribunal to set aside the result and announce another election in the constituency.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 8^th, 2016.