BNP-M chief urges PTI to accept NA-265 verdict

Mengal says de-seating of Suri a victory for democratic forces

QUETTA: Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) President Akhtar Mengal on Friday said an election tribunal nullifying National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri’s election and ordering a re-poll in NA-265 was a victory for the democratic forces and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) should accept the verdict.

The National Assembly membership of Suri, who belongs to the PTI, was declared null and void by the Balochistan High Court’s election tribunal earlier in the day. His win from NA-265 was challenged by BNP-M’s Nawabzada Lashkari Raisani, who maintained that the election was rigged brazenly and 65,000 votes were not verified.

“The BNP-M, along with other political parties, had expressed their reservations over the general elections’ neutrality and presented evidence of rigging to the and now that has been proven true today,” Mengal said while addressing a news conference at Sarawan House.

Mengal slams ‘attempts to defame’ his party

“Thousands of votes have been proven invalid in NA-265 after NADRA [National Database and Registration Authority] submitted its verification report to the Balochistan High Court,” he added, asking the court to identify those involved in the blatant rigging of the election.

“If elections in the provincial capital [Quetta] were rigged so brazenly, one can imagine the extent of rigging in other parts of the province.”

To a query, Mengal said his party had not entered into an alliance with PTI before the elections but had later supported the party informing the federal government by signing a six-point charter of demands.

“We voted for the government and they pledged to implement our demands but now it is up to the PTI to keep its promises,” he added.

The BNP chief said the opposition was in power after the 2013 elections but unwilling to hear Balochistan’s issues.  “However, the incumbent government has heard our voice and even assured us they would address the province’s problems,” he added.

BNP-M working to provide relief to people: Mengal

Responding to a query about the implementation of the BNP’s six-point agenda, Mengal said over 400 missing persons had safely reached their homes after he held talks with the prime minister.

“Over 70 years of deprivation can’t be addressed in one or two years,” he maintained.

Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also shared his views on the nullification of Suri’s National Assembly membership.

“Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri who banned the word ‘selected’ in the National Assembly has been de-seated. Turns out 65K votes cast could not be verified. Can’t ban the truth. Soon all selected will have to go,” he tweeted. 

Published in The Express Tribune, September 28^th, 2019.