SC reinstates Abdul Khaliq Achakzai as Balochistan Assembly Speaker

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has reinstated PML-N’s Abdul Khaliq Khan Achakzai as Balochistan Assembly Speaker, overturning Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to suspend him.

The ECP had suspended the notification of success of Balochistan Assembly Speaker Abdul Khaliq Khan Achakzai from PB-51, Chaman, earlier this month and ordered repolling at 12 polling stations.

The decision came amid allegations of irregularities and rigging during the electoral process.

Abdul Khaliq Achakzai had emerged victorious from the constituency with 20,390 votes, securing victory over his opponent Asghar Achakzai of the ANP, who bagged 19,623 votes.

Meanwhile, Abdul Khaliq Achakzai had challenged the ECP’s decision to suspend his victory notification in the Supreme Court.

Conducting the proceedings on Thursday, a three-judge apex court bench led by Justice Aminuddin Khan overturned the ECP’s verdict and reinstated Abdul Khaliq Achakzai as Balochistan Assembly Speaker.

The Supreme Court also threw out the ECP’s verdict to hold repolling at 12 polling stations of PB-51, Chaman.

The court after a nod from all the stakeholders sent the matter back to the ECP, directing the Commission to take a decision in 10 days after hearing all the candidates.

Justice Aminuddin Khan questioned under what rule the ECP had ordered repolling in these 12 polling stations. The ECP neither conducted an inquiry nor followed any principle in this case, he added.

Justice Muhammad Ali Azhar said the ECP had laid its focus on these 12 polling stations but ignored the others.

The ECP Director General Law informed the apex court the Commission had looked into the 12 polling stations after receiving complaints about turnout in these polling stations.

Justice MA Mazhar insisted the ECP should have conducted an inquiry of the whole constituency first. “If the ECP had done its job in an appropriate manner the people would not have come to the court,” he remarked.