QUETTA: Repolling in 15 polling stations of Balochistan Assembly constituency PB-45 has once again been postponed, it was reported on Sunday.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced that the repolling, which was initially set for December 19, will now take place on January 5, 2024. The decision comes due to ongoing concerns over the law and order situation in the region.
Ali Madad Jatak, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) candidate from PB-45, had originally been declared the winner of the seat. However, the Election Tribunal disqualified Jatak after allegations of rigging at 15 polling stations, leading to the need for repolling. The ECP had previously scheduled the date for December 19 for the re-election at these 15 polling stations.
Government sources revealed that the Balochistan government had requested the postponement of the repolling due to security concerns in the area. As a result, the ECP agreed to push back the repolling date to January 5.
The postponement follows a series of legal proceedings related to the election. On November 21, the Supreme Court of Pakistan dismissed an appeal against the Election Tribunal’s decision to recount votes at 15 polling stations in PB-45.
The three-member bench, led by Justice Shahid Waheed, heard the case and determined that the discrepancies between Form 45 and Form 47 raised significant questions about the integrity of the election process. Justice Aqeel Abbasi highlighted that ballot papers had disappeared the day after the election, adding further to the concerns. The Supreme Court ultimately decided to discharge the case.
Earlier, on October 11, the Supreme Court had also intervened in the case regarding repolling in PB-45. The court temporarily reinstated Ali Madad Jatak’s victory and suspended the decision for repolling at the 15 polling stations.
The appeal was filed by Jatak, who had contested the Election Tribunal’s decision to recount the votes. The tribunal had based its decision on contradictions in the election forms, but only a portion of the candidates had presented evidence of discrepancies.
In another electoral dispute, the Supreme Court accepted Ali Hasan Zehri’s appeal regarding vote recounting in PB-21 Hub. The court referred the matter to the Election Commission of Pakistan for further review and ordered the ECP to hear the plea for recounting again.
With the legal proceedings ongoing and the new repolling date set for January 5, uncertainty remains around the final outcome of the PB-45 seat, as the legal battles continue to unfold.
