ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet decided to challenge the decision of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to order re-polling in NA-75, Daska in the Supreme Court.
According to the details, PM Imran Khan discussed the ECP decision during a cabinet meeting and expressed dissatisfaction over the commission’s ruling.
PTI leader and former SAPM Usman Dar said that “We have decided to challenge the ECP decision in the Supreme Court.”
“We will fight for our legal rights as the people of the area voted for us and we will fight for their rights,” Dar added.
He said that returning officers in their reports had not mentioned that irregularities had taken place in the constituency of NA-75, but only in 20 to 23 polling stations.
Usman also asked a question that why re-polling in the entire constituency of NA-75, Daska, had been ordered instead of just 23 polling stations where the alleged irregularities had taken place.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Ali Asjad Malhi will file an appeal in Supreme Court against the ECP’s re-polling order in the NA-75 Daska constituency.
This comes as the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday declared NA-75 by-polls null and void,’ and ordered re-polling in the constituency on March 18.
According to the details, the Election Commission of Pakistan after hearing arguments from PTI, PML-N and the RO had reserved the judgment.
“The people were not provided with the right to vote in a true manner”, ECP said.
Terming the polling null and void in the NA-75 Daska, the ECP has ordered re-polling in the constituency on March 18.
This comes as the Returning Officer (RO) of NA-75 Daska By-poll has admitted that presiding officers of 23 polling stations were found involved in rigging.
According to the report submitted to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Returning Officer (RO) said that the investigation revealed that presiding officers were involved in rigging.
PML-N candidate Nausheen Iftikhar raised reservations over the results by stating the difference between the Form 45 copy available with her and with Presiding Officer ‘different’.
According to Presiding Officer’s, PML-N candidates secured 3500 votes from the 23 polling stations, while Nausheen claimed to get 5000 votes, Returning Officer said in his statement.
It appears that the results were altered, RO claimed and suggested re-polling on the 23 polling stations.
Previously the ECP had seized the electoral record of by-polls in NA-75 Daska on Saturday after rigging allegations were levelled against each other in the constituency by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
Earlier, Prime Minister Imran Khan had requested the PTI candidate to ask for re-polling at the 20 polling stations.
“Have always struggled for fair and free elections. So even though there is no legal compulsion to do so before ECP announces results, I would request our PTI candidate to ask for re-polling in the 20 polling stations Opposition is crying hoarse over in the Daska NA 75 be-election,” he said.
