Supreme Court Adjourns National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri's Election Petition Till February 11

(@FahadShabbir)

Supreme Court adjourns National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri's election petition till February 11

The Supreme Court on Monday adjourned a petition filed by Deputy Speaker National Assembly Qasim Suri challenging an election tribunal's Sept 27, 2019 verdict that declared his election from National Assembly seat, NA-265 (Quetta-II), null and void and ordered re-election

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 27th Jan, 2020 ) :The Supreme Court on Monday adjourned a petition filed by Deputy Speaker National Assembly Qasim Suri challenging an election tribunal's Sept 27, 2019 verdict that declared his election from National Assembly seat, NA-265 (Quetta-II), null and void and ordered re-election.

A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Faisal Arab and Justice Yahya Afridi heard the election matter.

During the course of proceedings, Advocate Waseem Sajjad counsel for Akbar Askani said the petition that the Election Tribunal ruled did not meet the legal standards. The statements made under oath were also not in accordance with the law, he added.

He said the Election Tribunal could not review such application on merit.

Justice Umar Ata Bandial said the election petition could not be so rigorously reviewed.

He said the losers congratulate the winners in a mature democratic culture. But nowadays every election was challenged in courts, he added.

Justice Bandial said the forensic audit of votes by National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) had changed the situation. NADRA now determines which voter belong to which constituency.

Qasim Suri's lawyer Naeem Bukhari said in the plea that irregularities in the electoral process could not be attributed to his client. He pleaded with the bench to declare the decision of the election tribunal as void.