Pindi’s de-seated mayor to challenge decision in court

ECP denotifies Sardar Naseem, 17 members of RMC for rigging, code violations

RAWALPINDI/ ISLAMABAD: Adopting a defiant stance, Rawalpindi Mayor Sardar Naseem has announced that he would challenge his disqualification by the Election Commission of Pakistan in court.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had declared the election of the mayor and 17 members of the RMC as null and void. The decision meant that the recently formed Municipal Corporation of the city had ceased to function.

Following ECP’s decision, 46 union council chairmen from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) gathered in Rawalpindi and reposed their faith in Naseem. They also assured the mayor of their support if he opts to contest elections for his seat again.

However, while talking to newsmen afterwards, Naseem said that he had been consulting his lawyers and that as a first step he would appeal the ECP’s decision in the Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi bench.

He added that a majority of UC chairmen in RMC on Wednesday had extended their support for his re-election as mayor.

Naseem maintained that he had done nothing wrong and was ready to go to court against the poll body’s decision.

Deseated

Naseem of the PML-N had been elected as mayor of Rawalpindi on December 22, 2016, over a month after elections on the reserved seats of the RMC were held on November 15.

His election had revived local governments in Rawalpindi and other parts of the Punjab after a long gap of almost eight years.

However, some opposition members, including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Lubna Iqbal and PML-N’s Tahira Perveen, had challenged Naseem’s elections, accusing the mayor of using his influence to rig the polls for reserved seats prior to being elected city mayor.

Naseem was also accused of violating the code of conduct by entering a polling station and influencing the polls to tilt in favour of a
particular candidate.

After a few hearings, the ECP on Wednesday de-notified the election of 17 RMC members elected on reserved seats, in addition to setting aside the mayor’s election.

“The election of members, Municipal Corporation, Rawalpindi held on November 15, 2016, is thus, set aside and the notifications of returned candidates are withdrawn. Follow up action shall be taken and fresh schedule shall be issued” the ECP short order said.

“Whereas the aforesaid election of members is declared void, therefore election of the mayor...by such members held on December 22, 2016, is also set aside as being void. The notification of the respondent as mayor is hereby withdrawn. Follow up action be taken in accordance with law” it added.

While the ECP has previously penalised candidates for violating its code of conduct, the severity of the punitive action taken on Wednesday is rare and would deal a blow to beleaguered PML-N which has already been facing daunting challenges from its opponents in the wake of the Panamagate verdict.

However, the short order does not mention whether Naseem can contest polls for the seat again once a new schedule is announced.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 27^th, 2017.