Rigging allegations: SHC issues notices to CM, ECP in voter verification case

CM had appealed the high court cancel tribunal’s order for verification of votes.

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court issued notices on Monday in connection with the verification of votes to confirm allegations of bogus votes cast in the provincial assembly’s constituency of PS-29, from where the Sindh chief minister won the general elections.

The full bench, headed by Justice Munib Akhtar, issued notices to the Election Commission of Pakistan, the election tribunal, chief minister Qaim Ali Shah and Nawab Ali Wassan for December 20. The other members of the bench included Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi and Justice Syed Muhammad Farooq Shah.

The CM had gone to court against the order passed by the tribunal that directed the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) to conduct verification of votes polled in NA-215 and PS-29 constituencies of Khairpur.



Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Syed Ghous Ali Shah had lost elections on both seats to the Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Nawaz Ali Wasan and Qaim Ali Shah, respectively.

Ghous alleged that his rival candidates had carried out massive rigging in the polls and pleaded to the tribunal to order verification of thumb impressions on the ballots. He also accused them of using the state machinery to manage their victory. Subsequently, the tribunal ordered verification of votes through Nadra.

Earlier, Qaim had stated that the election tribunal had allowed his rival’s plea for voters’ verification by ignoring legal provisions. He stated the tribunal had also dismissed his application against the maintainability of the election petition.

He asked the court to declare that the tribunal’s order was without legal authority, thus the same may be dismissed.



This is the second petition filed by him in the high court, where he had previously approached to seek transfer of the election petition from the tribunal set up in Sukkur to any other place. He had alleged that the presiding officer, Zaheeruddin Leghari, was associated with the rival Pakistan Muslim League - Functional.

The court will resume hearing on December 20.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 17^th, 2013.