ISLAMABAD, Feb 27: Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Qazi Mohammad Farooq has appointed election tribunals for Sindh and Balochistan to hear petitions.

Justice Azizullah M. Memon, Justice Yasmin Abbasey, Justice Ali Sain Dino Metlo, Justice Syed Mahmood Alam Rizvi, Justice Agha Rafiq Ahmed Khan, Justice Pir Ali Shah, Justice Arshad Noor Khan and Justice Dr Qamruddin Bohra have been appointed for Sindh and Justice Akhtar Zaman Malghani and Justice Mehta Kailash Nath Kohi for Balochistan.

The setting up of the tribunals has surprised many because normally it is done after the final notification of the election results which is expected by March 1.

Election Commission secretary Kanwar Mohammad Dilshad told Dawn that it was to be done after the final notification, but the tribunals had been set up because recommendations from the chief justices concerned had been received.

The secretary, who had earlier announced that election tribunals in all the four provinces would be established soon after the final notification of the results, said: “There is no harm in it as it was to be done by March 4 in any case.”

He said the contesting candidates with any election-related complaint could contact the tribunal within 45 days of the publication of their names in the official gazette.