QUETTA, March 5: The Balochistan High Court restrained the provincial government on Monday from releasing Rs650 million for a member of provincial assembly involved in linking Senate elections to grant of development funds.

A division bench of the court comprising Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Justice Abdul Qadir Mengal ordered that notices be issued to the Chief Election Commissioner, provincial election commissioner and the provincial government on two identical petitions filed by Speaker Aslam Bhootani and Mir Tahir Bizenjo of the National Party against alleged malpractices in the Senate polls held on March 2.

The petitioners submitted that MPA Pir Abdul Qadir Gilani had admitted at a pre-poll press conference that during the elections he would vote in favour of PPP candidates because the provincial government had promised to release Rs650million for development projects in his constituency.

Mr Bhootani said that releasing funds so that a member would cast his vote in favour of a particular candidate could be termed “horse-trading” and requested the court to stop the release of funds approved for Mr Gilani.

On his part, Mr Bizenjo alleged that Senate elections in Balochistan had been “rigged” because votes of assembly members were bought and urged the court to declare the polls “null and void” and order a re-election.

The court asked the provincial government to stop the release of funds for Mr Gilani and directed the provincial chief secretary to submit a detailed report on the development funds allocated to the members of the assembly.

Advocate Baz Mohammad appeared on behalf of the petitioners.

The hearing was adjourned till March 12.