Daily Times

A plea challenging former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani’s victory as senator was filed with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday.

Advocate Azhar Siddique filed the plea with the ECP, stating that the election of PPP leader was rigged. The petitioner stated that the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) candidate’s win should be declared null and void as the polls were not transparent. It said that rigging in elections is a crime and it should be investigated, highlighting that latest technology was not used in the polls despite the directions of the Supreme Court in this regard.

The petitioner asked the ECP to not issue a notification of Gilani’s successful election. It further asked the electoral authority to investigate horse-trading in the polls and take action against those responsible.

According to the petitioner, ECP should take action against Maryam Nawaz and Ali Haider Gilani over their confession of rigging in the poll. Moosa’s video and Maryam’s statement are evidences of rigging, it said.

The ECP, the plea added, should have a case registered against the two over the violation of Section 167, 168, and 170 of the Election Act.

Meanwhile, the ECP fixed the hearing of Ali Gillani’s leaked video matter on March 11 on the application of PTI parliamentarians Kanwal Shauzab and Farrukh Habib.

According to the ECP spokesperson, the commission will also listen to the matter pointed out by General Secretary Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Nayyer Bukhari in his application submitted with the commission on corrupt practices during Senate polls. Similarly, the commission will also hear the matter of video related to the members Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on March 9. The application on the matter was submitted by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s Javed Abbasi.