An election tribunal on Monday ordered re-election in Lahore’s NA-125 and PP-155 constituencies after rigging on the seats was proven during the 2013 general elections.
The one-page verdict revealed that the ballot bags had been opened with a sharp object and the records had been tampered with. It added that in the reports submitted by the tribunal’s appointed local commission and NADRA after inspecting the record of the constituency, it was found that on an average each person had cast six votes each.
Saad Rafiqu’s victory had been challenged by Hamid Khan of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf, alleging that the PML-N candidate had rigged the elections, and a large number of bogus votes were cast in favour of Rafique. Saad Rafique had secured 123,416 votes whereas Hamid Khan had obtained 84,495 votes from NA-125 constituency.
PML-N leader Khawaja Saad Rafique held a press conference soon after the election tribunal ordered re-election in the NA-125 constituency. He said that the decision to order re-election was against the presiding and residing officers of the constituency and that runner-up candidate Hamid Khan had failed to prove rigging.
Saad Rafique said that it would be party’s decision to challenge the verdict in Supreme Court or to opt for the re-election. If PML N would take the matter into Supreme Court it would be considered a victory of PTI. PTI would be able to get more sympathies of the public that if the general elections were not rigged than what bars PML N to contest in re-elections. It would be wise decision at the end of PML N to re-contest and as Saad Rafique explaining that irregularities were found in only seven poling stations, more likely he would emerge victorious again. Imran Khan termed the verdict as success of his party but if the entire process would ensure the transparency in the electoral system it would be success of democracy.