LAHORE, Pakistan: An election tribunal in Lahore on Tuesday rejected a petition filed against alleged transfer of votes from NA-122 which eventually led Sardar Ayaz Sadiq to re-gain National Assembly Speakership, saying the plea was non-maintainable.
The petition had been filed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Aleem Khan alleging that votes were illegally transferred from Lahore’s NA-122 constituency as part of an electoral conspiracy.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had in response formed an election tribunal to hear Aleem Khan’s plea. The tribunal issued a short order today in which it dismissed the application, saying that supporting evidences were not enough to hear the petition.
The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and former Speaker National Assembly won the NA-122 by-election held on October 11 last year by 74,525 votes. His main rival PTI’s Aleem Kahn bagged 72,082 votes.
Sardar Ayaz Sadiq was again nominated by the PML-N for NA Speakership following his victory. Later he won the election for the seat and took oath of office on November 09, 2015.
However, the PTI leadership maintained that Ayaz Sadiq would again be disqualified due to alleged transfer of votes from NA-122.