PTI for early hearing of Daska by-polls case

Ruling party’s candidate says delay will make his appeal against ECP order ineffective

ISLAMABAD:

The ruling PTI has moved an application in the Supreme Court for an early hearing of a petition filed against the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) decision to hold a re-election at the NA-75 Daska constituency of Punjab.

Ali Asjad Malhi, who belongs to the ruling party, has maintained in his application the ECP has scheduled to hold a re-election at the constituency on March 18 and if the apex court does not take up his appeal before March 18, his plea will become ineffective. Malhi has asked the SC to hear his case on March 10.

On February 25, an ECP committee – headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja – declared the by-poll held on February 19 at NA-75 Sialkot-IV constituency void and ordered fresh election in the entire constituency on March 18.

"This commission in exercise of powers under Article 218(3) of the Constitution read with section 9(1) of the Elections Act. 2017, declares the poll held on 19.02.2021 in the subject constituency [NA-75, Sialkot-IV] void and orders fresh poll/re-poll in the entire constituency on 18th March," said the short order.

The ECP had issued the order after hearing a petition filed by PML-N candidate Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar, who had called for verification of the results of 23 missing polling stations.

The polls body had noted that the by-election had not been conducted in a transparent manner.

“From the perusal of available records produced by the parties, the returning officer as well as collected by the Commission (ECP) through different sources, we have come to the conclusion that a conducive environment was not available for the candidates,” the order said.

“…the election in the subject constituency had not been conducted honestly, justly, fairly and in a transparent manner.

“Incidents of murders, firing and injuries and bad law and order situation in the subject constituency [had created] harassment for voters and other circumstances [led] to make the process of result doubtful/unascertainable,” it added.

The February 19 by-election in the constituency was marred by incidents of rigging and clashes between the voters and supporters of rival parties — the PTI and the PML-N. The violence rose to an extent that it claimed the lives of two people, besides injuring several others.

A day after the by-election, the ECP withheld the results and ordered an inquiry. The Punjab election commissioner had also expressed disappointment at the lack of cooperation from the police and district administration.