The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has pushed back the re-polling in the Daska NA-75 consistency to April 10.
Moreover, the Supreme Court (SC) has denied the ruling party’s application to suspend the re-polling within Daska, wherein a three-member bench headed by Justice Umar Ata Bandial upheld the ECP’s decision after summoning a complete record of the case from ECP and Pakistani Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate.
“This Commission in exercise of powers under Article 218(3) the Constitution read with section 9(1) of the Elections Act. 2017, declares the poll held on 19.02.2021 in the subject constituency (NA-75, Sialkot-IV) as void and orders fresh poll/re-poll in the entire constituency on 18th March,” it said.
The ECP said that the election in the constituency had not been conducted in a transparent manner, incidents of murders, firing and injuries, bad law and order situation while other circumstances led to make the process of result doubtful.
“From the perusal of available record produced by the parties, the Returning Officer as well as collected by the Commission through different sources, we have come to the conclusion that conducive environment was not available for the candidates,” the order said.
“Voters of the constituency and the election in the subject constituency has not been conducted honestly, justly, fairly and in a transparent manner, incidents of murders, firing and injuries, bad law and order situation in the subject constituency creating harassment for voters and other circumstances leading to make the process of result doubtful/unascertainable.”
Earlier, the top electoral body had termed the polling null and void in the NA-75 Daska, the ECP had ordered re-polling in the constituency on March 18.
The change in data comes a day after the appointments of police and administrative officers were notified by the ECP.
Gujranwala Deputy Commissioner (DC) Sohail Ashraf had been given an additional charge of Gujranwala commissioner and Gujranwala City Police Officer (CPO) Sarfraz Ahmed Falki as regional police officer (RPO).
“Incidents of murders, firing and injuries, bad law and order situation in the subject constituency [created] harassment for voters and other circumstances leading to make the process of results doubtful/unascertainable,” the ECP order had noted.
Additional Deputy Commissioner Revenue Mir Muhammad Nawaz had been given an additional charge of the deputy commissioner and Superintendent Police (SP) Investigation Muhammad Imran was given the charge of DPO.
Moreover, the appointments of SDPO Adnan Malik and SDPO Sambharial Rizwan Ahmed had also notified.
It may be noted that the commissioner, deputy commissioner (DC), RPO, DPO and two DSPs had been removed over the directives of the election commission.
Earlier on February 25, the ECP had ordered re-polling at all polling stations of NA-75 Sialkot-Daska over rigging.
The ECP after hearing arguments from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) and returning officer (RO) had reserved the judgment. Riots had been reported during the polling day and the masses were not provided the right to vote in a true manner.
