LAHORE: The election tribunal reserved on Friday a verdict on maintainability of a petition filed by Abdul Aleem Khan of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf challenging alleged irregularities and pre-poll rigging committed in by-election of NA-122, Lahore.

National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq had retained his victory from the constituency in the by-poll.

The petition filed through Advocate Anees Hashmi mainly alleged that at least 30,000 votes were cancelled and shifted from NA-122 before the by-election held on Oct 11, 2015.

It said the ECP had record of shifting of only 7,000 votes from the constituency. It alleged that the ECP act was amounted to a pre-poll rigging.

The tribunal had been asked to set aside the result of the by-election on the grounds of the alleged rigging committed in the poll.

The speaker’s counsel argued that electoral lists could not be challenged after the election. He said the petition of Aleem Khan was not maintainable.

After both sides concluded their arguments, tribunal member Rasheed Qamar reserved the decision on the maintainability of the petition for Jan 26.

Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2016