ECP rejects PTI plea seeking annulment of NA-122 by-poll

Electoral body allows PTI's Aleem Khan access to voters’ record in NA-122 constituency in Lahore

News Desk February 01, 2016

A file photo of ballot boxes. PHOTO: REUTERS

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday upheld the decision of an election tribunal to reject a plea filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Abdul Aleem Khan to nullify by-elections in National Assembly’s NA-122 Lahore constituency over allegations of illegal vote transfer, Express News reported.

The PTI candidate had approached the country’s top electoral body after his petition seeking annulment of NA-122 by-elections was turned down by the election tribunal on January 26.

Rigging concerns: Street protests if justice is not done, warns Imran Khan

Maintaining that the annulment of by-elections can only be decided by the electoral body, the ECP rejected PTI’s application.

The ECP, however, allowed the PTI candidate access to the voters’ record in NA-122 Lahore as per the rules of the electoral body, saying the party has a right to access the record.

Last month, PTI chief Imran Khan had threatened a street protest if justice was not done in the NA-122 by-election case. He was commenting on rejection of Abdul Aleem Khan’s petition by the election tribunal.

Commenting on the tribunal’s ruling, Imran said thousands of votes had been transferred from the constituency ahead of the by-polls in October last year. “All we asked the NADRA was to verify where these votes came from,” he said.

Thin margin victory: PML-N reclaims NA-122

After the ruling on January 26, Aleem Khan had alleged that 30,500 votes were transferred ahead of the by-polls. He said the election commission had verified only 812 votes.

Sardar Ayaz Sadiq of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz had defeated Abdul Aleem Khan of the PTI in a close contest in the NA-122 by-poll to reclaim the coveted Lahore seat.

COMMENTS (2)

zubair | 8 years ago | Reply If ECP was even 50% just, this access to voter's list should have been provided much earlier by ECP and ECP should have ordered Nadra to provide verification of vote transfer of 30500 - 812 = 29688 voters which is what Aleem had been demanding from the start. It is really that simple. Since Nadra failed to provide this verification of remaining 29688, Aleem's case is proven. This is transfer of 29688 voters and not something like 150 or 200 voters, therefore this is not mis-management but clear electoral fraud.

Zain ul Abideen | 8 years ago | Reply Comtrary to media claims i believe PTI may have hit jackpot by getting access to complete voter lists.

Replying to X