NA-122: Election tribunal accepts PTI's appeal over forged results

NADRA chairman says forensic results of rigging in PP-147 are under way and will be submitted on May 25

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) counsel said on Saturday that the election tribunal accepted the party's appeal over the forged results of NA-122, Express News reported on Saturday. 

NADRA chairman Usman Mobin was also present during the hearing and stated that forensic results of rigging in PP-147 are under way and will be submitted on May 25.

Read: NADRA will release report exposing ‘rigging’ in NA-122: Imran Khan

"Forensic reports prepared as per law," Nadra officials stated as they appeared before the tribunal.

Further adding that rather than "wasting more time," the reports can be discarded if the authority does not find them authentic.

Only 73,478 of the total 184,151 votes cast in NA-122 (Lahore-V) during the 2013 general elections could be verified, according to a forensic report submitted by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) to an election tribunal.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, the incumbent speaker of the National Assembly, had defeated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan in the constituency.

Read: NA-122 report: NADRA verifies less than 40% votes

The election tribunal shared copies of the NADRA report with the counsels for the PML-N and the PTI. The tribunal has also summoned NADRA’s chairman and deputy director on May 16, when they will be cross-examined by the lawyers of both the parties.

Further, PTI chairman Imran Khan said that he was hoping for good news for his party as the election tribunal reviews the NA-122. Addressing a rally in Multan ahead of by-polls scheduled for May 21, the PTI chief said that “this is a very interesting case,” adding that after downing a ‘wicket’ in NA-125, there would be good news for the party in NA-122 as well.

Read: PP-196 by-elections: Imran hoping for good news in NA-122 review

On May 10, PTI Punjab president Ejaz Chaudhry said that PTI chief Imran Khan's visit to Lahore depended on the result of NA-122 petition.

"He will visit the constituencies where the people’s mandate was stolen during the 2013 elections. Call it a protest or a celebration, we will be out on the streets, telling people what we always knew to be true, that the elections were rigged."