Balochistan tribunal deseats agri minister

The Election Tribunal has deseated Ali Madad Jatak, a Pakistan People's Party MPA and Minister of Agriculture from the Balochistan Assembly seat PB-45 Quetta.

The tribunal, led by Judge Abdullah Baloch of the Balochistan High Court, ordered repolling at 15 stations in the constituency following a legal challenge by Muhammad Usman Perkani, the candidate of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F).

Senior lawyer Kamran Murtaza represented Perkani during the case, which was under hearing for several months. Murtaza has raised concerns over the election results, alleging that his client was deliberately deprived of his rightful victory.

Murtaza stated that initial results and Form 45 indicated a clear win for Pirkani. However, he claims that these results were later manipulated, turning the victory into a defeat. He emphasised that the process was unfair, and his client's defeat was orchestrated through unjust means.

The elections also highlighted the political influence of Ali Madad Jattak, a key leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in Balochistan. Jattak, considered one of the closest allies to Chief Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti, holds significant sway in the political landscape of the province. His role in the election is being closely scrutinised amid the allegations of rigging, adding further controversy to the outcome.

These claims raise questions about the transparency of the electoral process in Balochistan and have prompted discussions about potential legal action. The case remains ongoing.

The tribunal had reserved its judgment a few days ago before ruling in favor of the petitioner. Alongside the disqualification, the tribunal instructed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to appoint new returning officers (ROs) and district returning officers (DRO) to ensure transparency in the upcoming reelection.

Fresh elections will be held at the designated polling stations, where allegations of irregularities were raised. PB-45 is the Sariab area of Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan.

In a related development, the Supreme Court of Pakistan rejected a petition by former Home Minister Balochistan Mir Ziaullah Langove, who had challenged the Election Tribunal's verdict that deseated him from Kalat district. Langove's disqualification adds further pressure on the ruling coalition, which has now lost two key figures following the court decisions.

The Form 45 and Form 47 controversy has been a recurring issue during elections, particularly in Balochistan, and has raised significant concerns about transparency and fairness in the electoral process.

Form 45 is used to record the results of the vote count at each polling station, detailing the number of votes secured by each candidate. Form 47, on the other hand, is a summary of the consolidated results of each constituency.