Interim order on PK-8 polls upheld

The election tribunal stands by it's decision asking the returning officer to submit the records.

PESHAWAR:

An election tribunal ordered the returning officer of PK-8 on Thursday to hand over counterfoils of used ballot papers from 98 polling stations, along with the electoral rolls and statement of count (Form XIV), to the National Data Warehouse at NADRA for verification.

This order was first issued by an election tribunal on June 26, 2013, but sent out again on Thursday after the PHC disposed of the petition of Arbab Akbar Hayat of PML-N on Wednesday. He had challenged the interim order of the election tribunal on a petition filed against him by JUI-F candidate Asif Iqbal Daudzai.

Election tribunal judge Shahji Rehman Khan issued the direction to returning officer Syed Wadood Khan, ordering him to submit the record to NADRA within three days for verification.

“The petitioner shall bear the entire cost of the process as well as expenses incurred by the aforesaid returning officer. The report of NADRA shall reach this tribunal on or before January 31,” the order stated.

On June 31, 2013, the election tribunal judge wrote a letter to the NADRA chairman, stating that records of the PK-8 polls were being forwarded for verification. The chairman was told he had to check the records and send them back sealed.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 23^rd, 2015.