SC dismisses PTI petition challenging Khawaja Asif's election as MNA

Published: November 10, 2016
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The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a petition of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) challenging the election of Khawaja Asif as Member of the National Assembly (MNA).

The petition was filed by PTI’s Usman Dar challenging the victory of the defence minister from the NA-110 constituency.

Asif emerged victorious in the May 2013 general elections in NA-110 Sialkot – one of the four constituencies where the PTI had sought vote audit and re-election through separate election petitions.

Khawaja Asif requests SC to decide election case soon

On June 20, Asif’s counsel Rashdeen Qasuri appeared before the three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali and requested the court to decide the case at the earliest, saying his client was being harassed by his opponents on media.

On June 7, NADRA submitted its report without the record of 29 polling stations where the bags were said to have gone missing. In January this year, the Supreme Court ordered the verification of votes in the Sialkot constituency within three months.

PTI chairman Imran Khan had alleged massive rigging in the 2013 general elections, with the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) turning out to be largely successful.

Election rigging probe: Inquiry commission rejects PTI’s allegations

However, on July 23 2015, a three-judge inquiry commission probing into systematic rigging in the 2013 general elections rejected the allegations.

The commission in its 237-page report said despite some lapses on part of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) “the 2013 general elections were in large part organised and conducted fairly and in accordance with the law.”

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Reader Comments (9)

  • Khan
    Nov 10, 2016 - 1:23PM

    Sharif court strikes againRecommend

  • Zahid Khan
    Nov 10, 2016 - 2:06PM

    AlhamdoLillah… Congratulation to all PMLN Workers…Recommend

  • Khurram
    Nov 10, 2016 - 2:25PM

    PTI’s fishing expedition fails again in the supreme court.Recommend

  • ishrat salim
    Nov 10, 2016 - 3:18PM

    NADRA has not be able to locate bags from 29 polling centers, then how this case decided by SC ? the last SC commission on 2013 poll rigging also gave verdict without investigation ? this shows the case was being decided on some compulsion….only history will expose all these misjudgment similar to Bhutto execution & Mehran bank scandals etc; that will be too late but will discredit all those judges even if they are dead by then. They will have to answer to Allah swt for this kind of judgment. Recommend

  • weak wakeel
    Nov 10, 2016 - 6:37PM

    My degree cant be verified any more. Should i retain my lucrative government post? Asif might as well be innocent, but courts are setting a dangerous precedent. Was the judgement approved for reporting? I hope it is.Recommend

  • Adnan Siddiqi
    Nov 10, 2016 - 8:27PM

    Sour grapes being complained by youth (ias). They ought to be reminded that one of the members of the bench that adjudicated in favor of Khawaja Asif was none other than CJ himself on whose remark of Pakistan being run like a “Monarchy” a few days back, was well received by Insafis / Fan Boys who were dancing with absolute joy.

    Now be a good sport and keep your pecker up. Recommend

  • JKhan
    Nov 10, 2016 - 8:40PM

    Why the Judges who decided this case names not given? Secret like Orange train accounts?Recommend

  • Israr
    Nov 10, 2016 - 9:42PM

    How can bags from 29 polling station just disappear? NADRA report also mentions (as usual) several thousand unverified votes. I understand no criminal charges can be brought because whoever removed the bags wouldn’t leave any evidence and wouldn’t confess to their wrongdoings so the only just verdict would be to set aside the results and order new elections. Recommend

  • Ishrat salim
    Nov 15, 2016 - 5:07PM

    @Israr:
    Yes agree, normally that should have been the best course – order re election as per circumstantial evidence, but only Allah knows best. all these judges will have to answer to Allah on the day of judgement in sha Allah. Recommend

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