SC suspends tribunal's verdict to de-seat PML-N MNA from NA-154
Top court stays re-elections scheduled for October 11 in Lodhran-I constituency
PTI's Jahangir Tareen and PML-N's Muhammad Siddique Khan Baloch
ISLAMABAD:
The Supreme Court suspended on Tuesday an election tribunal’s verdict to de-seat Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MNA Sadiq Baloch, as it issued an order to stay the by-election in NA-154, Lodhran-I constituency.
Following an August 26 verdict by an election tribunal in favour of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Jahangir Tareen, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had announced re-polling in the constituency on October 11.
The tribunal had also imposed a lifetime ban on Baloch declaring his educational certificate bogus.
Read: Election tribunal rules in favour of PTI, orders re-poll in NA-154
The three-member bench of the apex court headed by Justice Saqib Nisar took up the appeal on Tuesday.
Counsel for Sadiq Baloch Shahzad Shaukat said the tribunal foreclosed rights of the petitioner to contest any further election by attributing corrupt practices to him.
Read: Banners up for Lodhran by-polls
He claimed a report by NADRA had indicated that the election in question was held in the normal course and no corrupt and illegal practices were used.
Commenting on the verdict, General Secretary Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Jahangir Tareen – a contestant in the election – claimed that PML-N approached the court because their defeat had become obvious.
The Supreme Court suspended on Tuesday an election tribunal’s verdict to de-seat Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MNA Sadiq Baloch, as it issued an order to stay the by-election in NA-154, Lodhran-I constituency.
Following an August 26 verdict by an election tribunal in favour of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Jahangir Tareen, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had announced re-polling in the constituency on October 11.
The tribunal had also imposed a lifetime ban on Baloch declaring his educational certificate bogus.
Read: Election tribunal rules in favour of PTI, orders re-poll in NA-154
The three-member bench of the apex court headed by Justice Saqib Nisar took up the appeal on Tuesday.
Counsel for Sadiq Baloch Shahzad Shaukat said the tribunal foreclosed rights of the petitioner to contest any further election by attributing corrupt practices to him.
Read: Banners up for Lodhran by-polls
He claimed a report by NADRA had indicated that the election in question was held in the normal course and no corrupt and illegal practices were used.
Commenting on the verdict, General Secretary Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Jahangir Tareen – a contestant in the election – claimed that PML-N approached the court because their defeat had become obvious.