QUETTA: Weeks after the Balochistan Election Tribunal declared the election of Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetran and Mohammad Akbar Askani – Balochistan Awami Party’s (BAP) MPAs – null and void and ordered re-election in both the constituencies, the Supreme Court on Monday restored the Askani’s membership of the provincial assembly.
Subsequently, the court adjourned the hearing until Jan 24.
The Tribunal headed by Justice Nazeer Ahmed Langove of the Balochistan High Court (BHC) after completing hearing of the election petitions filed against provincial Minister Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetran and Adviser to the Chief Minister on Fisheries Mohammad Akbar Askani announced the decision.
The judge accepted the petitions filed against the election of Khetran and Askani and ordered the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to conduct re-election in the provincial assembly’s constituencies PB-8 (Barkhan) and PB-48 (Kech).
The tribunal also asked the ECP to de-notify the notifications of the election victory of the two MPAs.
Wadera Abdul Karim Khetran, who contested election on PB-8 (Barkhan) on the ticket of National Party against Rehman Khetran, had filed the petition against the election result. Rehman Khetran won the seat with a thin majority.
Against the result of PB-48 (Kech) the election petition had been filed by Asghar Rind, who had contested the election as a candidate of the Balochistan National Party-Awami and lost against Askani.
Rehman Khetran and Askani have announced that they will challenge the verdict of the tribunal in the Supreme Court.
