Summary CJ Jamali remarked that PTI didn't protest against deployment of polling staff on election-day
ISLAMABAD: (Dunya News) – Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Anwar Zaheer Jamali on Thursday ask the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Hamid Khan’s lawyer in NA-125 case whether the errors in filling the Form-14 annuls the election result or not. He also remarked that PTI didn’t protest against deployment of polling staff on the election-day, reported Dunya News.
According to details, Supreme Court’s 3-member bench headed by CJ Anwar Zaheer Jamali heard Khawaja Saad Rafiq’s writ in NA-125 case.
Saad Rafiq’s lawyer Khawaja Haris argued that the entire election cannot be annulled on the basis of some irregularities. He said that 47 polling officers were changed on the Hamid Khan’s request just before the election. He said that even after discounting the invalid votes, Saad Rafiq’s votes are more than those of Hamid Khan.
Hamid Khan’s lawyer Ahmad Awais argued that Saad Rafiq’s ‘trusted’ men were deployed in the polling staff. Justice Qazi Faiz Eisa said that 47 polling officers were changed on the request of the PTI candidate. CJP Anwar Zaheer Jamali remarked that PTI did not protest over the deployment of the polling staff which proves that the polling staff was changed on PTI candidate’s request.
Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed said that the result of entire constituency cannot be annulled on the basis of irregularities recorded in 7 of the polling stations. “Some of the thumb-impression may not be readable”, he added.
Chief Justice asked if both the candidates would agree on recounting of votes and the results achieved after this, to which Saad Rafiq’s lawyer agreed but Hamid Khan’s lawyer rejected the option. “What if the Presiding Officer didn’t write the polling station number on the Form-14? Havens haven’t fallen”, said Azmat Saeed.
Chief Justice said that the tribunal didn’t hold Saad rafiq responsible for the rigging. “If the record of the polling material gets burnt, can the absence of these votes change the results of the election? Does Election Commission have no space for keeping the election record? Election record is kept in the district warehouses. Can the election result also be annulled on the basis that the Election Commission doesn’t keep the record with itself? Conditions are not ideal in our country. can the election record be kept safe in lock-ups for 5 years?” questioned Jamali.
Saad Rafiq won in the rural areas of the constituency while Hamid Khan won from the urban areas. However, the court adjourned the hearing till tomorrow. Case will be heard tomorrow again.
