Not letting NA-122 go: Ayaz Sadiq challenges election tribunal's verdict in SC

Sadiq submits appeal consisting 3,265 pages. Asks apex court to suspend fine imposed on him

LAHORE: In what appears to be a departure from his party’s stated policy, former National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq has challenged an election tribunal's verdict which had de-seated him.

In an appeal filed in the Lahore registry of the Supreme Court on Monday, Sadiq urged the court to declare the tribunal’s verdict as illegal in addition to suspending a fine of Rs2.7 million imposed on him.

The appeal, consisting of 3,265 pages, contended that the tribunal had not reached a decision on merit, adding that he was not heard during the course of proceedings.

Read: PML-N decides to contest by-polls on vacant seats

Further, Sadiq argued that every petition which they had filed during the tribunal’s proceedings had been kept pending. He added that neither were those petitions discussed in detailed judgment nor was any order passed on them.

Thus, Sadiq contended that the election could not be declared null and void just on the basis of electoral irregularities.

He also sought stay over the tribunal's order in which he was directed to pay fine to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan.

Read: By-elections for NA-122, NA-152 to be held on Oct 11: ECP

An election tribunal judge Kazim Ali Malik had on August 22 ordered repolls in the constituency, having declared the May 2013 election on the seat as null and void.

Back then, Sadiq had defeated PTI chief, prompting the latter to contest the election result in the election tribunal.

The tribunal had also ordered re-elections in PP-147 where Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s Mohsin Lateef had won by defeating PTI's Shoaib Siddiqui.