The election tribunal of the Sindh High Court on Friday ordered re-election at 47 polling stations for the National Assembly constituency (NA-203) Shikarpur on the plea of Pakistan Peoples’ Party leader Wahid Bux Bhayo.
In the 2008 elections, present federal minister of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) Ghous Bux Mahar was announced as the victorious candidate for the constituency. Bhayo, the defeated candidate, had filed a petition against Mahar following the announcement. The election tribunal, including Justice Faisal Arab of the SHC, after announcing the judgement, also suspended its order for 14 days on an application filed by Mahar for grant of time so he can file an appeal against the order.
Bhayo, through his counsel Anwer Mansoor Khan, had stated that in the 2008 elections, his rival candidate rigged the election with the support of then president Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf and took control of 47 elections stations, manipulating the process. He added in his plea that the election staff was held hostage by armed men working for Mahar. He prayed the tribunal that it should order the Election Commission to cancel the result and order re-election at the 47 polling stations.