QUETTA: A division bench of the Balochistan High Court was informed on Thursday that Ali Ahmed Kohzad, who was elected an MPA on a ticket of the Hazara Democratic Party (HDP) in the July 25 general elections, is not a Pakistani national but an Afghan refugee.

Mr Kohzad contested the election from PB-26 (Quetta) and won the election, securing 5,117 votes against Wali Muhammad of the MMA, who bagged 3,242 votes.

A representative of the deputy commissioner of Quetta submitted a report to a BHC bench about the nationality of Mr Kohzad.

The bench is hearing a constitutional petition, filed by Mr Kohzad against blocking of his Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) by Nadra.

Nadra had blocked Mr Kohzad’s CNIC before elections after reports emerged that he was not a Pakistani, but an Afghan national.

The Election Commission of Pakistan had banned him from contesting the elections, but he filed a petition against the ECP decision in the BHC, which allowed him to contest the elections.

A committee was formed to investigate the blocking of Mr Kohzad’s CNIC and his claim about Pakistan’s citizenship.

The committee’s report was submitted to the division bench of the Balochistan High Court on Thursday, comprising Justice Abdullah Baloch and Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan.

The report revealed that Mr Kohzad had failed to prove his Pakistani nationality and that he had also failed to present any documentary evidence to support his claim of being a Pakistani national.

According to the report, “Nadra investigation had proved that Mr Kohzad had interloped himself into a Pakistani family of the Hazara community with forgery, using the CNIC of Abdul Hameed, son of Haider Ali.”

The bench adjourned the hearing to Aug 6.

Published in Dawn, August 3rd, 2018