ISLAMABAD: ECP here today, noting that 19th Feb elections were not held in a transparent manner, declared Daska by-polls null and void.
ECP ordered re-polling in all 360 polling stations of NA-75 (Daska, Sialkot-IV) It may be recalled that the clashes between PTI and PML-N supporters on the by-polls day claimed 2 lives.
According to details PML-N candidate Nausheen Iftikhar had filed an application pointing towards delay in announcement of results by 23 polling stations. She had requested ECP not to include the results of these polling stations in the final results.
CEC Sikandar Sultan Raja, heading the ECP committee listened to PML-N’s Counsel Salman Akram Raja who prayed: “The conspiracy of rigging had started even before the polling day…The Election Commission had issued a schedule banning appointments and transfers…Despite the ban, Zulfiqar Virk was made DSP. The PTI candidates cannot plan such rigging on their own.”
Salman Akram Raja further pointed out though ECP ordered the removal of the DSP, an SP was made in charge of security for the entire election and in the new notification Zulfiqar Virk’s name was shown as Zulfiqar Ali.
PML-N Lawyer further claimed that due to gun shots carried out to harass the voters, only 22% votes were cast. On asking, CEC was told that the voter turnout in the general election was 58%: “Presiding officers go missing to end my client’s lead.”
PML-N’s Lawyer told that following all the calculations, new Form 45 were filled: “This is the first time that an Election Commission is telling the truth. It has the power to review the election process. Presiding officers’ mobiles and police wireless were switched off simultaneously. Election Commission is the protector of democracy.”
PTI candidate Ali Asjad Malhi’s lawyer held: “Voter turnouts vary around the world…There were widespread irregularity and women were not prevented from voting. Ali Asjad Malhi repeatedly requested the Returning Officer to release the results. The results were obtained through polling agents.”
Not only a RO told ECP about tempering of results at 14 polling stations during 19th Feb by-polls at Daska NA-75 constituency, glaring instances like disappearance of election staff at two dozen polling stations made ECP suspect rigging.
ORDER: Sikandar Sultan Raja, Chairman: “The arguments heard and record perused. From the perusal of available record produced by the parties, the Returning Officer as well as collected by the Commission through different sources, we have come to the conclusion that conducive environment was not available for the candidates and voters of the constituency and the election in the subject constituency has not been conducted honestly, justly, fairly and in a transparent manner, incidents of murders, firing and injuries, bad law and order situation in the subject constituency creating harassment for others and other circumstances adding to make the process of result…”
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