Irregularities found in NA-125 poll record

LAHORE:

A commission investigating allegations of rigging in NA-125 (Lahore-VIII) has reported irregularities in the record of this National Assembly constituency.

Khawaja Saad Rafique, the incumbent railways minister in the federal cabinet, had won this seat in the 2013 parliamentary elections, defeating Hamid Khan of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

Hamid Khan had, however, challenged Saad Rafique’s victory contending that the election was massively rigged in favour of his rival. He had also shown lack of trust in the presiding officer of the commission due to which the matter was transferred to another judge.

The commission tasked to inspect and scrutinise the record of NA-125 submitted its report before an election tribunal on Monday. It said that forms XIV and XV and counterfoils of the ballot papers were missing from the record.

Judge Javed Rasheed Farooqi, who was hearing the case, summoned the counsels for both candidates – winner and runner-up – for cross examination on the commission’s report. The tribunal will resume hearing on February 14.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 10^th, 2015.