Balochistan Assembly Speaker Khaliq Achakzai reinstated by Supreme Court

Balochistan Assembly Speaker Abdul Khaliq Achakzai was reinstated on Thursday after the Supreme Court annulled the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) orders to suspend him.

The ECP’s order of re-polling at 12 polling stations in Balochistan’s PB-51 (Chaman) constituency was also declared null and void.

Achakzai was removed from his position following the ECP decision earlier this month to suspend his election notification and order re-election in 12 polling stations within PB-51.

The directive for the re-election came after a challenge to his victory by three contenders: Muhammad Asghar Ach­akzai of the Awami Natio­nal Party (ANP), Abasin Achakzai and Muham­m­­ad Sadiq, all of whom were defeated in the general ele­­ction for the PB-51 seat.

Achakzai, a PML-N member, challenged the decision in the apex court and a three-member bench headed by Justice Aminuddin Khan conducted the hearing on the matter today.

With the consent of PB-51’s candidates, the court sent the matter back to the ECP, ordering them to hear all candidates and to present a decision within 10 days.

Justice Aminuddin inquired about which regulation required re-polling at the 12 polling stations, adding that the ECP “neither conducted an inquiry nor saw any principle.”

Moreover, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar questioned the ECP about why they observed those 12 stations but “ignored others”.

The ECP’s director general for law said only the 12 stations about whom requests were received about their high turnout were looked at.

“The Election Commission should have performed a second inquiry of the entire constituency,” Justice Mazhar said. “If the Election Commission had done its work, we would not have to come to court.”

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