Senate elections fallout: Angry PML-N rejects Balochistan results as rigged

Decides to take matter to SC, ECP; National Party leader files petition in BHC.


Qamar Zaman March 06, 2012

ISLAMABAD:


Hours after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced on Monday that the Balochistan Senate election results were valid, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) put its foot down and decided to take the matter to the Supreme Court (SC).


“Senate elections have been rigged in Balochistan,” PML-N provincial chief Sanaullah Zehri said while addressing a press conference. He was accompanied by MNA Lt Gen (retd) Abdul Qadir Baloch and Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry.

“We will knock the door of the SC and Election Commission of Pakistan for justice,” Zehri said, while alleging “(the) chief election commissioner of Balochistan is a biased and dishonest person”.

Zehri added that election rules were violated during the vote count, which resulted in a PPP candidate winning the general seat in Senate.

In order to substantiate his point, Zehri said that the ECP upheld its results without a recount. He told a questioner that his party had pointed out that only 63 out of the 65 required votes had been cast by the Balochistan Assembly.

Earlier in the day, the ECP upheld its earlier decision about winning candidates against seven general seats of Senate from Balochistan.

Officials from the ECP told The Express Tribune that the results were withheld following several complaints of rigging and demands of a recount.

There were 19 candidates for seven general seats from Balochistan. Awami National Party (ANP) leader Dawood Khan was declared winner on a seat which caused most controversy, prompting even the speaker of Balochistan Assembly to file complaints.

National Party Complaints

The National Party also joined the chorus of parties dissatisfied with the Balochistan results. A Balochistan High Court division bench approved a constitutional petition filed by the party’s General Secretary Mir Tahir Bizenjo.

Bizenjo alleged that horse-trading had taken place on a large-scale during Senate elections and appealed for a re-election.

The court has issued notices and sought replies from the Government of Balochistan and the chief election commissioner of Balochistan by March 12.

Not just Balochistan

It’s not only the Balochistan senate elections which have caused a hue and cry, however. A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court’s Lahore Registry praying to set aside all the results of senate elections, saying they were based on pre-poll rigging.

The petition was filed by Barrister Zafarullah Khan, contending that during the senate elections political parties and the government paid million of rupees to parliamentarians to get their votes.

(WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM SHEHZAD BALOCH IN QUETTA AND RANA TANVEER IN LAHORE)

Published in The Express Tribune, March 6th, 2012.

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