SAHIWAL: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has referred the petition of Rao Umer Hashim, PTI-backed runner-up candidate for NA-139, to the election tribunal. Mr Hashim challenged rigging in his constituency and the difference in Farm 45 and Farm 47 results issued by the returning office. He alleged that more than 18,000 votes were rigged in compiling the final result. Over the ECP decision, his rivals from the PML-N camp started saying Rao’s petition of rigging was dismissed.
Mr Hashim told Dawn firstly the election petition has not been dismissed for being baseless or false instead the ECP held that the petition contains various points of facts and law which cannot be determined by the ECP as it has a limited scope of inquiry and investigation. Hence the ECP can only hold a summary inquiry and not a full-fledged inquiry or investigation.
“Secondly, the ECP recognised our contentions and evidence and referred us to approach the election tribunal as in our case the evidence was overwhelming and needed to be recorded along with the counter-evidence to ensure a fair trial for both sides,” he added.
On the other hand, Ahmed Raza Manika claimed all rigging allegations of the PTI candidate are fabulous and baseless.
PROTEST: A woman died during childbirth allegedly due to, what the family of the deceased woman says, the ‘negligence’ of the Pakpattan District Headquarters Hospital.
The family staged protests demanding a thorough inquiry by a medical board into the woman’s death.
Ghulam Mustafa, of Mohalla Karkhana, Pakpattan, said his wife was admitted for delivery on March 14, and complications arose during childbirth, with the woman experiencing difficulty breathing. He alleges despite alerting the paramedic staff, the situation worsened, leading to an emergency Cesarean section and she died during the operation, leaving behind her newborn child.
The family alleged the hospital staff did not inform them about the deteriorating condition and the need for blood transfusions, given the woman’s Thalassemia condition.
The city police intervened and assured the family of a thorough investigation into the matter. Medical Superintendent Dr Raoof Alvi blamed woman’s medical history for her death.
DIES: Death row prisoner Eid Muhammad from Chakwal died in the high security prison due to health complications on Sunday. The body was handed over to the family following an autopsy t Sahiwal Teaching Hospital.
Reports said Eid, who had been convicted by the Rawalpindi anti-terrorism court in 2006, had served 18 years in various prisons before his death.
The district and session judge started a judicial inquiry into the circumstances surrounding his death, appointing Judicial Magistrate Farid Town to lead the investigation.
Published in Dawn, March 18th, 2024