LAHORE: An election tribunal on Monday declared Federal Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique’s election from NA-125 (Lahore) null and void, and ordered reelection in the National Assembly constituency won by the PML-N central leader.
The tribunal announced its brief verdict in the case pertaining to alleged rigging in NA-125 during 2013 general elections.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Hamid Khan, who was runner-up candidate, had challenged Saad Rafiq’s victory, claiming rigging in the election.
Saad Rafique had bagged 123,416 votes from the constituency beating PTI’s Hamid Khan who secured 84,495 thousand votes.
Reading out a short verdict in favour of the PTI candidate, Faisalabad Election tribunal judge Javaid Rashid Mehboobi declared null and void the results of the 2013 general elections on NA-125 and ordered a reelection.
Election tribunal also suspended the results of PP-155, from where PML-N’s Mian Naseer Ahmed had won.
PTI leader Hamid Khan has claimed that the results of the tribunal had solidified PTI’s stance.
He expressed confidence in the results of the tribunal and stated that the other three results would also be the same. Upon getting the details of the result, Hamid Khan stated that he would conduct a press conference with Imran Khan.
“Election Tribunal Faisalabad has also accepted the Election Petition filed by Hafiz Farhat Abbas against Mian Naseer Ahmed etc. from PP-155-Lahore-XIX. The Tribunal has ordered for conduct of re-polls in the Constituency,” it said.
‘Missing signature, thumb impressions on Form-XIV’
The tribunal issued its detailed 80-page judgment shortly after it announced the short verdict in court. NNI
