QUETTA: An election tribunal on Monday declared the victory of Balochistan Minister for Agriculture Mir Ali Madad Jattak null and void and ordered re-polling at 15 polling stations in the PB-45 Quetta constituency.

The tribunal, headed by Justice Abdullah Baloch of the Balochistan High Cou­rt, had reserved its judgement after concluding the hearing of the election pe­­tition submitted by Mir Us­­man Pirkani, a JUI-F candidate from PB-45 Quetta, who contested the victory of Ali Madad Jattak, a PPP lawmaker and minister for agriculture.

The election tribunal, after examining all witness statements and records, upheld the petition and declared Mr Jattak’s victory null and void. The tribunal also ordered re-polling at 15 polling stations in PB-45. With the nullification of his assembly membership, he will also be stripped of his ministerial position.

The petitioner’s case was argued by advocates Qazi Najeeb-ur-Rehman and Muhammad Rashid Ayub, while Mr Jattak’s was represented by his counsel Dr Bahram Tareen and Jameel Ahmad Babai.

Mr Jattak is the second sitting minister in the Balo­chistan government to lose his seat, and will face a re-election.

Earlier, Home Mi­­nister Mir Ziaullah Lan­g­ove was unseated by the election tribunal after his victory was challenged by rival candidate Sardar Sae­ed Ahmed Langove in PB-36 (Kalat). The tribunal had orde­red re-polling in seven polling stations. Conse­qu­e­ntly, Mr Langove had challen­ged the tribunal’s verdict in the Supreme Court which dismissed his petition on Monday.

Published in Dawn, September 17th, 2024