The Chief Election Commissioner for Old Ravians’ Union (ORU) has declared the ORU elections for the executive Committee, illegal while terming the process null and void.
As per the details, Justice retired Sheikh Ahmad Farooq, CEC for ORU Elections, passed an order on Monday terming the elections held on 14th February as null and void.
“The VC GCU Lahore is directed to hold fresh elections of ORU GCU Lahore on an appropriate date strictly in accordance with the constitution of ORU GCU Lahore (amended in 2021) through a newly constituted Election Commission within a reasonable time,” said the order.
The election results were challenged by Rana Asad Ullah Khan, former secretary Lahore High Court Bar Association, who contested the elections as Presidential candidate from the Ravians United Club. No one appeared on behalf of GCU and ex parte proceedings were ordered by Justice Farooq. The passed order also snubbed the GCU Registrar for interfering in the working of the Election Commission.
The petitioners including Rana Asad, Asad Sultan Gondal and Sajid Goraya had maintained that the election of ORU was manipulated by the GCU’s current administration and a systematic rigging was orchestrated in favor of Ravians Galaxy-Saga group.
It is pertinent to mention here that the newly elected body of ORU just took oath of their office this Sunday at Governor’s House. Punjab Governor Ch Muhammad Sarwar administered the oath to the newly elected body while Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Asghar Zaidi was also present.
DIG Security & Administration Special Branch Lahore Jahanzeb Nazir Khan was sworn in as the new President of the union while Dr. Abdul Basit and Advocate Syed Hussain Rizvi took oath for the posts of General Secretary and Senior Vice President. The other members of executive committee included Dr Tanvir Hussain, Ms. Rabia Afzal Wahla, Muhammad Jangair Iqbal Khan, Usman Saeed, Dr. Kiran Khursheed, Dr. Muhammad Zakraya Butt, M. Anwar-ul Haque, Altaf Ahmad Sukhera, Syed Muhammad Farhad Tirmizi, Sultan Nisar Soraya and Abdur Rehman Babar.
In February, DIG Jahanzeb Nazir Khan was elected as the president of the Old Ravians Union (ORU) defeating Rana Asadullah Khan. DIG Jahanzeb Nazir secured 1,147 votes defeating his rival candidate Rana Asad Ullah, who managed to secure 771 votes.
In March, Asadullah Khan and Asad Sultan Gondal also approached the Chief Election Commission of the union, and prayed for the suspension of the oath taking ceremony till the finalization of the proceeding through an instant application.
The petitioners maintained that the current Executive Committee of ORU with the help of GCU administration has announced an oath taking ceremony without awaiting the orders of the Election Commission on their complaint dated 18 Feb, 2021. In the application, the petitioners also submitted that despite the unequivocal order of the Chief Election Commissioner, official recounting of the votes of all posts of ORU Election 2021 was not conducted on the plea that some candidates have volunteered not to get their votes recounted again.