BADIN: The Elections Commission of Pakistan has summoned the chairman and deputy chairman as well as 11 councillors of the Matli municipality committee to Islamabad as the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has made yet another move to get their controversy-hit election nullified.

Only a day after the returning officer (RO) concerned declared PPP candidates Tanzeela Qambrani and Babu Sabhago Khaskheli elected unopposed as the chairperson and deputy chairperson on Aug 25 the ECP intervened to set aside the results and order holding of the polling the next day. The RO had rejected the nomination papers of their rival candidates — PPP dissidents Rauf Nizamani and Abdul Rehman Kashmiri — who wanted to contest for the two slots, respectively.

The ECP had replaced the RO and SSP with their counterparts in Hyderabad as the winning candidates and their supporters held protest demonstrations and blocked roads in Matli from dawn to dusk creating a situation where polling could not be held. Eventually, the polling was held on Aug 30 and the PPP candidates were defeated by the dissident candidates. The PPP candidates stayed away from the polling.

The PPP made several attempts to convince the ECP on fairness of the Aug 25 decision of the originally posted RO but in vain.

In its fresh attempt, the PPP conveyed to the ECP that Mr Nizamani and Mr Kashmiri had violated the party discipline by defying its leadership’s order to support and vote for Ms Qambrani and Mr Khaskheli who were given the party tickets. It has cited relevant election rules to be applied in its case.

Responding to the PPP application, the ECP has asked Mr Nizamani, Mr Kashmiri and 11 councillors to appear before it on Oct 6 in Islamabad.

Published in Dawn September 29th, 2016

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