The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Thursday rejected a petition of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) against the success of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) candidate Abdul Hakeem Baloch in the by-election of NA-237, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

“Have you gone to the election tribunal?” the court asked a question from the lawyer for the PTI.

“If there is any irregularity or rigging, you have the option of going to the election tribunal,” the court said to him.

“We had gone to the election commission, but the door was not opened [for us],” PTI’s lawyer Shahab Imam Advocate said.

“The option to go to the election tribunal is there only after the election is over,” he added.

The judge then asked the PTI lawyer did he know where the election tribunal is?

The PTI had on Tuesday last challenged the NA-237 by-election result in the Sindh High Court (SHC). The plea moved by PTI Sindh President Ali Zaidi had alleged that massive rigging had taken place during the by-election in NA-237. The workers of the Pakistan People’s Party cast ’fake’ votes during Sunday’s by-poll, the plea had further said.

The SHC had been prayed to order an impartial inquiry into the matter.

On Sunday, PPP candidate Abdul Hakeem Baloch had defeated former prime minister Imran Khan in Karachi’s NA-237 Malir constituency. PPP candidate had obtained 32,567 votes while Imran Khan stood second with 22,493 votes, as per unofficial result.

Later in a news conference, the former prime minister had demanded the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold re-election in Karachi’s NA-237 constituency, accusing Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) resorting to ’rigging’.

IHC extends bails of Tariq Shafi, Faisal Maqbool

Delineating the jurisdiction of the court, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday said that the case registered by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) against the PTI leaders under the Foreign Exchange Act could only be heard by a banking court, reported 24NewsHD TV channel. 

Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani of the IHC heard the PTI leaders’ case. 

PTI leaders Tariq Shafi and Faisal Maqbool appeared in the court along with their counsel Raja Qadeer. The court extended their protective bails for two weeks and asked them to join the FIA probe within five days.

The court asked Shafi whether he had become part of the investigation. 

His lawyer replied that he and his client had gone to the court of Special Judge Central.   

The judge then asked the FIA’s lawyer whether the suspect had cooperated with the interrogators. The lawyer replied in negative.  

The additional attorney general told the court that the petitioners had only sought protective bail. 

Justice Kayani, on the occasion, remarked that it would be better to first determine whether the case fell in its jurisdiction. 

Shafi’s lawyer said that the nature of the charges and the clauses inserted in the case showed that it fell in a banking court’s jurisdiction. 

PTI leaders’ counsel, on the occasion, read out the FIR registered against his clients. 

 

Reporters: Bilal Ahmed and Ehtesham Kiyani