QUETTA, July 19: A division bench of the Balochistan High Court on Tuesday issued notice to the Election Commission in a petition filed by the Pukhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party’s candidate in the by-election for a provincial assembly seat from Qila Abdullah, challenging the cancellation of the result of the polling. The bench comprised Chief Justice Raja Fayyaz Ahmed and Justice Akhtar Zaman Malghani.

Petitioner Qahar Wadan, claiming victory in the by-election held on July 9 for the seat PB-12, Qila Abdullah II, submitted that the chief election commissioner could not declare the entire result null and void.

He submitted that the results of 41 polling stations were given to polling agents and those of six polling stations were withheld on suspicion of rigging and snatching of ballot boxes.

He pleaded that the election commissioner could order re-polling in the affected polling stations instead of cancelling the results.

The petitioner prayed that either his victory should be notified or re-polling should be held in the six polling stations.