Quetta
Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) MPA Mohammad Akbar Askani’s provincial assembly membership for the constituency PB-48 (Kech) has been restored on Monday when the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) suspended the Balochistan Election Tribunal’s declaration of his election as “null and void”. Meanwhile, the court adjourned the hearing till Jan. 24.
The Balochistan Election Tribunal had on December 31 ordered the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to conduct re-election in provincial assembly’s constituencies PB-8 (Barkhan) and PB-48 (Kech) on allegations of rigging. From PB-8 (Barkhan), provincial minister Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetran was elected. The tribunal had also asked the ECP to de-notify the notifications of the election victory of the two MPAs.—INP
