SC restores Adil Bazai as MNA, sets aside ECP decision to de-seat him
Pakistan
"Just because a letter from a high-ranking official arrives, they can’t just de-seat someone": SC
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - The Supreme Court has annulled the decision to de-seat Adil Bazai, restoring him as a Member of the National Assembly (MNA).
A three-member bench, led by Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, heard the petition filed by Adil Bazai challenging his de-seating from the National Assembly.
During the hearing, the Supreme Court raised questions about the Election Commission’s procedures.
Justice Ayesha Malik inquired, "What inquiry did the commission conduct to verify the facts in the Adil Bazai case?"
Justice Aqeel Abbasi remarked, "Just because a letter from a high-ranking official arrives, they can’t just de-seat someone. That’s not how it works."
Justice Mansoor Ali Shah stated, "The criteria for disenfranchising the voters of an entire constituency should be stringent."
In response, the petitioner’s lawyer, Sardar Taimoor, said, "The matter reached the Election Commission, and the next day, proceedings were started. We approached the Balochistan High Court to get the relevant documents. We asked for the affidavit claiming affiliation with the PML-N, which was supposedly submitted, but we were not provided with it."
Justice Ayesha Malik remarked, "The Election Commission has stated that those documents are confidential."
The court then summoned the Director-General of Law from the Election Commission to the rostrum.
Justice Ayesha Malik asked, "You received two affidavits: one from the winning candidate who claimed it was his, and another from someone who denied it. On what authority did you accept one affidavit as valid without any inquiry? Can the Election Commission simply reject one affidavit and accept another without verification?"
The court’s questions highlighted concerns over the fairness and transparency of the process followed by the Election Commission in de-seating Adil Bazai.
