The Election tribunal has scrapped results of NA-125 election and ordered re-polling to be conducted in the constituency.
Khawaja Saad Rafique, Federal Minister Minister for Railways, had won the electoral showdown that had taken place in NA-125 on 11 May 2013. PTI candidate Hamid Khan, who was the runner-up from NA-125, had challenged Saad’s victory from the constituency. According to the tribunal, a transparent voting system was followed in only 7 out of the 265 polling stations. The remaining polling stations’ result was termed as controversial.
The Election tribunal has declared the results of NA-125 election null and void. The latest judgment will disqualify Saad Rafique from his Member of National Assembly status and also renders him ineffective as Minister for Railways. The votes secured from the last election were as follows:-
Khawaja Saad Rafique (Pakistan Muslim League-N) secured 123,094 votes.
Hamid Khan (Pakistan Tehreek-E-Insaf) secured 83,190 votes
Election tribunal also suspended the results of PP-155, from where PML-N’s Mian Naseer Ahmed had won. Hamid Khan, who had contested from this constituency with PTI’s ticket, claimed that the results of the tribunal had solidified PTI’s stance. He expressed confidence in the results of the tribunal and stated that the other three results would also be the same. Upon getting the details of the result, Hamid Khan stated that he would conduct a press conference with Imran Khan.
Khawaja Saad Rafique responds
Speaking to the media, Khawaja Saad Rafique stated that the decision of judges was against the inefficiency of the Returning Officers and not himself, therefore he refused to accept the results of the tribunal. He said that the decision of the tribunal will be challenged in Supreme Court yet the final decision regarding that will be taken by his party leadership. Khawaja Saad also said that out of the 265 polling stations,partial voting had taken place only in 7 polling stations. Rafique also clarified that the tribunal had suggested no punishment for him in their decision.
“Judges wrote that Hamid Khan failed to prove rigging took place in the constituency,” said Khawaja Saad. “This is a conspiracy to question the democratic system in the country.”
