HYDERABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) leader Jam Madad Ali has described the Election Tribunal judgement unseating him as a member of the Sindh Assembly as ‘questionable’ and said it was “given under political influence of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) only to keep me away from the March 5 Senate election”.

Jam Madad Ali told Dawn on Wednesday that he intended to move the apex court but the Senate election would have been over by that time.

“This verdict is purposely given by the ET which is reflective of its timing,” he said, adding that Asghar Junejo took the oath in a haphazard manner in the Sindh Assembly,” he said.

The PML-F leader claimed that the notification of the ET judgement was obtained from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) by fax only to enable Mr Junejo to take oath by 4.30pm on Wednesday.

“When one has to take oath [as an MPA], one is required to submit plenty of documents but in the case of Mr Junejo, the faxed notification was considered enough to let him take the oath,” he argued.

Irked by the ET’s findings that declared him the losing candidate, Jam Madad Ali further argued that the judgement gave weight to the number of votes of his rival, Asghar Junejo, in the by-election for the PS-81Sanghar-IV but the ET presiding officer, Ashfaq Baloch, who worked under political influence didn’t consider overall report of recounting in which 27 bags of votes were found unsealed. Envelops containing votes were either missing, ballots were double-stamped and torn, he said.

He said that even ventilator of the treasury located in the Khipro sub-jail was found broken and freshly repaired which was an evidence of the fact that it was done to tamper with his ballots.

He claimed that the bags of votes cast at only three polling stations were found to be normal and the number of polled votes was the same as counted on the polling day, i.e. June 26, 2013.

Jam Madad Ali defeated Asghar Junejo on this seat once held by the latter’s father, Mohammed Khan Junejo.

The results led to a long litigation, involving the ET, Election Commission of Pakistan and Sindh High Court.

Eventually, recounting of votes in 30 polling stations was ordered which was opposed by Jam Madad Ali.

Jam Madad Ali leveled also alleged serious irregularities in the whole litigation process on the part of ECP, claiming that it had been done only to deprive him of his electoral success.

“The ET gave a verdict on March 3 although the case was fixed earlier, for February 28,” he said, adding that he was not provided with a copy of the judgement until 7pm [on Tuesday] although the presiding officer had by then issued the verdict and a copy was provided to his rival [Mr Junejo].

He said the ECP management was also equally responsible for irregularities in his case as the notification of his [Jam Madad Ali’s] victory was withdrawn despite the fact that it was not only issued but accordingly printed in the gazette.

He said that Mr Junejo had filed a petition praying to the court to restrain the ECP from issuing the notification of his [Jam Madad Ali’s] victory. “But the notification which had already been issued was withdrawn by the ECP which is a grave anomaly”, said the PML-F leader.

Published in Dawn, March 5th, 2015

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