LAHORE: National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq on Wednesday decided to file a contempt of court petition against tribunal judge Justice Kazim Malik in the Lahore High Court, challenging his decision pertaining to verification of votes cast in NA-122 constituency.
The speaker has consulted his counsel Asjad Saeed on the matter who told DawnNews that the tribunal’s decision was unilateral.
He said the tribunal judge had heard PTI Chairman Imran Khan and his six witnesses but had not heard out the speaker and his witnesses.
He moreover said the tribunal’s decision was in violation of the Supreme Court’s order which said that the tribunal should should first determine the maintability of the petition filed by Khan and then take the case forward.
He said the tribunal had issued its decision without determining the maintainability of the petition.
Election tribunal issues detailed verdict on NA-122 probe
The election tribunal issued a detailed verdict over the opening of ballot bags in NA-122 constituency to probe allegations of poll rigging.
The 18-page verdict instructed a single-member commission, comprising Mian Ghulam Hussain, to check the records after opening ballot bags in NA-122 and recounting each vote cast in the constituency.
Read: ECP issues directive for vote recount in NA-122
The verdict ordered the verification of forms 14,15 and 16 issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan to the presiding officers in NA-122 constituency and added that all votes cast in the constituency would be verified through thumbprint impressions.
The court order states that Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan deposit Rs500,000 for expenses incurred for the verification of votes in NA-122.
Read: NA-122: Imran testifies before Lahore election tribunal
MPA Mian Mohsin Latif, belonging to the Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) and a close companion of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, had also submitted a petition for the opening of ballot bags.
Latif and another candidate were also ordered to submit Rs200,000 each as part of the expenses for checking the votes.
Also read: Rival workers disrupt NA-122 record scrutiny
In a short order issued on December 8, the election tribunal had accepted PTI Chairman Imran Khan's request for opening the ballot bags in constituency NA-122 to investigate allegations of rigging.
