LAHORE: An election tribunal on Thursday allowed two independent candidates of NA-122 to become party in a petition challenging victory of National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq in the by-poll.

The tribunal member, Rasheed Qamar, took up applications filed by Khurram Qureshi and Manzoor Laeequr Rehman, two candidates who contested the by-election of NA-122 independently. Both applicants pleaded that they wanted to become a necessary party in the case as mandate of the public was stolen.

They challenged the election result for being “engineered”. The tribunal accepted their pleas and allowed them to become party in the case.

The tribunal dismissed applications of two other candidates Jamshed Iqbal Hameed and Mian Yameen Tipu for non-prosecution. The tribunal adjourned further hearing till Jan 13.

PTI’s runner-up candidate Abdul Aleem Khan had filed the main petition challenging victory of Sardar Ayaz Sadiq in the by-election. He mainly alleged that at least 30,000 votes were shifted from the constituency before the by-poll and asked the tribunal to set aside the election result and order a re-election in the constituency.

Published in Dawn, January 8th, 2016