KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Thursday dismissed a petition of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) seeking re-polling in the NA-237 Malir constituency.

PTI’s provincial leadership in its petition contended that the by-election held in the constituency on October 16 was rigged.

At the outset of the hearing, a bench comprising Chief Justice Ahmed Ali M. Shaikh and Justice Yousuf Ali Sayeed asked the lawyer for the petitioner about the maintainability of the petition filed under Article 199 of the Constitution as alternative remedy was available before the election tribunal.

The chief justice remarked that apparently, this matter was related to election dispute, and asked the counsel that if there was any irregularity in the by-election, the petitioner had the option to approach the tribunal.

Representing the petitioner, Shahab Imam Advocate argued that the remedy to move election tribunal was available after completion of the election process.

He further contended that the petitioner had approached the office of the provincial election commissioner, but its doors were closed. Letters had also been sent to the election commission about alleged rigging, he added.

The PTI through its Sindh president and former federal minister Ali Zaidi moved the SHC claiming that incidents of rigging by PPP leaders and workers in connivance with police and election commission staff throughout the polling day were witnessed in the constituency.

Impleading the ECP, provincial election commissioner, returning officer and Sindh police as respondents, the petitioner sought re-polling in the constituency.

PPP candidate Abdul Hakim Baloch has been declared winner in the NA-237 constituency after he secured 32,567 votes against PTI chief Imran Khan’s 22,493.

After the hearing, Advocate Imam, who has recently parted ways with Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan and joined the PTI, said that they attempted to stop the results of the constituency in question due to irregularities and rigging, but the petition was dismissed.

Now, we are going to file an election petition before the tribunal, he added.

Published in Dawn, October 21st, 2022