Former LHC judge challenges 2013 polls in SC

0
101

A former Supreme Court (SC) judge on Saturday challenged the May 2013 general elections in the Supreme Court.

Former SC judge Mahmood Akhtar Shahid Siddiqui through his counsel, Mian Allah Nawaz, filed a petition in the apex court, making the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and federal government as the respondents.

Justice Siddiqui retired in October 2011 as one of the judges who were ousted through November 3, 2007 PCO by former president Pervez Musharraf.

The filed petition is in relation with the purchase of the ink distributed during the electoral process.

The petitioner stated that the results of the 2013 elections should be declared “void” without jurisdiction and without any legal affect.

He also pleaded that appropriate authorities be directed to initiate criminal as well as departmental action against the members of the ECP and people who had negotiated and purchased defective ink from the Pakistan Council of Scientific & Industrial Research Laboratories and National Database and Regulation Authority (NADRA) and supplied it to the returning officers/presiding officers for use in the polling stations.

“These ECP officials should be challenged and punished in court, so that these errors are not made again,” the applicant submitted.

The petition states that the applicant has been gravely affected by last general elections on account of gross illegalities, malpractices and violations committed by the ECP before holding the polling on May 11, 2013.

“Pursuant to the elections results, announced by the ECP, there was unprecedented protest in the country against these elections. All the political parties including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz contended that the election process was violated by unprecedented rigging and misuse of electoral laws. On account of unfortunate results of elections, extremely unpleasant and embarrassing conditions prevailed in the whole of the country.”

Moreover, Siddiqui stated that the ink used by the presiding officers in the casting of ballot papers were defective and “suicidal” to the transparency to the electoral process.

He also pleaded the court to direct all political parties to exercise their right of protest and free speech in accordance with law and in accordance with the system of peace and tranquillity.