QUETTA: The Balochistan Assembly’s speaker, Abdul Khaliq Achakzai of the PML-N, has been removed from his position following the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to suspend his election notification and order re-election in 12 polling stations within the provincial constituency PB-51 (Chaman).
The directive for the re-election came after a challenge to Mr Khaliq’s victory by three contenders: Muhammad Asghar Achakzai of the Awami National Party (ANP), Abasin Achakzai, and Muhammad Sadiq, all of whom were defeated in the general election for the PB-51 seat.
However, the trio petitioned the Election Commission against the win of Mr Khaliq, who contested as a joint candidate of the PML-N and PPP.
A two-member ECP bench — comprising Nisar Ahmad Durrani and Babar Hussain — heard the petitions filed by the opposing candidates. They called for re-polling at specified polling stations and subsequently suspended Mr Khaliq’s official victory notification, the commission said in a statement.
According to the Election Commission, the re-election will be held at polling stations 56, 57, 61, 62, 79, 89, 90, 91, 95, 106, 129 and 130 of the PB-51 constituency.
Meanwhile, Balochistan Assembly officials said that after the ECP’s decision about re-polling, Khaliq Achakzai had been deprived of the Balochistan Assembly speaker’s post.
“Khaliq Achakzai is no longer speaker of the Balochistan Assembly,” the assembly officials said, adding that the speaker’s election would be held after the re-election at the 12 contested polling stations.
Published in Dawn, April 3rd, 2024
