LAHORE, Pakistan: The Election Tribunal in Lahore in its verdict announced on Saturday regarding the alleged rigging in Lahore’s NA-122 constituency, has disqualified the Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq.
The decision was announced by the tribunal judge Kazim Ali Malik at the Punjab Election Commission Office in Lahore, directing the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to conduct re-elections in NA-122, PP-147 and PP-148 constituencies.
In its decision, the election tribunal said that if the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Sardar Ayaz Sadiq does not file an appeal against the tribunal’s ruling, the by-election in NA-122 will be carried out on October 22.
Meanwhile, Ayaz Sadiq has announced to challenge the verdict about NA-122 by the tribunal in the apex court.
Congratulations to PTI on the victory in NA122. Truth eventually prevails! #NA122
— Ejaz Chaudhary (@EjazChaudhary) August 22, 2015
The verdict came hours later than expected because charged up supporters of both the PML-N and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were present outside the tribunal office while police officials briefed the Election Commission that the situation may deteriorate if it is announced today.
The Secretary Election Commission Babar Yaqoob also called the Inspector General of Punjab Police and said that NA-122 verdict should be announced in a free atmosphere and there should be no intervention.
The PML-N’s Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, who later became the Speaker National Assembly, had won the seat in May 2013 general elections from NA-122 by securing 93,362 votes while the PTI Chief Imran Khan remained runner up with 84,417 votes.
However, Imran Khan challenged Sadiq’s victory in the election tribunal, alleging that rigging was carried out on a large scale in NA-122. But proceedings of the Imran Khan’s petition remained suspended for a year because of stay orders taken by Ayaz Sadiq.
On May 8, 2014, the election tribunal ordered to verify votes of NA-122 from the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) on a request made by Imran Khan, seeking opening the ballot bags in the constituency to investigate allegations of rigging in May 2013 polls.
The NADRA submitted its forensic report to the election tribunal on May 9 this year, according to which 93,582 votes in NA-122 could not be verified.
Later on August 17, the tribunal judge Kazim Ali Malik reserved verdict after speaker’s counsel concluded his arguments against Imran Khan’s petition.
The NA-122 was among the four controversial constituencies where the PTI had demanded for voters’ thumbprint verification. The other three constituencies were Sialkot’s NA-110, Lahore’s NA-125 and Lodhran’s NA-154.
