F.P. Report
ISLAMABAD: Re-election on constituency NA-75 Sialkot-IV ordered by Election Commision of Pakistan on Thursday. The bye-poll held on February 19 in constituency NA-75 Sialkot-IV as void and ordered to hold fresh poll in the entire constituency on March. 18.
On commission notice, Ali Asjad Malhi, contesting candidates for bye-election NA-75, Athar Abbasi, Dist-rict Election Commissioner and Returning Officer NA-75 and Abid Hussain, Reg-ional Election Commission, Lahore and District Return-ing Officer also appeared before the commission.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja, in exercise of powers under Article 218 (3) of the constitution read with section 9 (1) of the Elections Act, 2017, issued the order after hearing a case.
The case was filed by applicant Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar, contesting candidate for bye-election in NA-75 on verification of 23 missing polling stations results.
The proceeding was also heard by four members of the commission included Justice ® Altaf Ibrahim Qureshi, Justice ® Mrs Irshad Qaiser, Nisar Durr-ani and Shah Muhammad Jatoi.
The CEC in its order said that the arguments were heard and record was persued.
While expressing his views he said thatfrom the perusal of available record produced by the parties, the Returning Officer as well collected by the commission through different sources, the commission has come to the conclusion that conducive environment was not available for the candidates and voters of constituency.
Mentioning the whole scenario of election day he said the election in the subject constituency has not been conducted honestly, justly and in a transparent manner, incidents of murders, firing and injuries, bad law and order situation in the constituency creating harassment for voters and other circumstances leading to make the process of result doubtful, unascertainable.
The detailed reasons of this order shall be recorded later on separately, directing office to take follow-up action accordingly he said.
Salman Akram Raja advocate along with his associates completed his arguments from the applicant side while Syed Ali Zafar and Ali Bokhari presented their arguments from Ali Asjad Malhi.
