Hanging in the balance: Three PTI lawmakers from Haripur face disqualification
However, Omer challenged the results and alleged rigging, accusing Zaman of conspiring with the election staff at some polling stations. The lawmaker denied the allegations and asked Omer to accept the election results.
Complying with his complaint, the election commission, nevertheless, ordered a recount which went on for over a week. This time, the vote count for Zaman increased. Omar remained resilient and approached the election tribunal, which sought voting records on August 22.
Yusuf Ayub Khan, another PTI legislator and Omar’s cousin, won from PK-50 after defeating former Awami National Party (ANP) MPA and later PML-N candidate Qazi Muhammad Asad. Yusuf also narrowly won with a margin of just over 2,000 votes.
Asad, who defeated Yusuf Ayub in the 2002 general elections and later his brother Arshad Ayub in 2008 polls, challenged Yusuf’s Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree and alleged it was counterfeit.
Asad then approached the election tribunal against Yusuf, who is currently serving as the provincial Minister for Communications & Works. The tribunal has summoned Yusuf to present himself in person on August 27 when the fate of his seat will be decided.
PTI’s Faisal Zaman – also known as ‘Jahazon Wala’ – was elected from PK-52 Haripur after defeating PML-N’s provincial president and former chief minister Pir Sabir Shah. Pir Sabir has also challenged the legitimacy of Zaman’s BA degree on the basis of which he had won the 2002 election on a Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) ticket.
Zaman claimed he obtained his degree from the University of Nigeria, where his company has been doing business for decades. Shah alleged Zaman’s degree was bogus and the election tribunal also termed it suspicious, after which it referred the matter to District and Sessions Judge Haripur for investigation. Proceedings on the case are likely to start within a few weeks.
Defeated candidates appear to be optimistic about winning the appeals in the hope of giving their constituencies another opportunity to vote in the by-polls, which they believe will be held in the upcoming month in Haripur if the lawmakers are disqualified. The challengers have also started campaigning.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 25th, 2013
HARIPUR: All three Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers elected from Haripur on May 11 are facing a legal battle to dodge disqualification.
Dr Raja Amer Zaman, scion of the Rajgan family in Khanpur, was elected on a PTI ticket from NA-19 Haripur after defeating Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) candidate and former minister of state for finance Omer Ayub Khan. Omer is the grandson of former military ruler Ayub Khan and was narrowly defeated by Zaman with a margin of just 1,400 votes.However, Omer challenged the results and alleged rigging, accusing Zaman of conspiring with the election staff at some polling stations. The lawmaker denied the allegations and asked Omer to accept the election results.
Complying with his complaint, the election commission, nevertheless, ordered a recount which went on for over a week. This time, the vote count for Zaman increased. Omar remained resilient and approached the election tribunal, which sought voting records on August 22.
Yusuf Ayub Khan, another PTI legislator and Omar’s cousin, won from PK-50 after defeating former Awami National Party (ANP) MPA and later PML-N candidate Qazi Muhammad Asad. Yusuf also narrowly won with a margin of just over 2,000 votes.
Asad, who defeated Yusuf Ayub in the 2002 general elections and later his brother Arshad Ayub in 2008 polls, challenged Yusuf’s Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree and alleged it was counterfeit.
Asad then approached the election tribunal against Yusuf, who is currently serving as the provincial Minister for Communications & Works. The tribunal has summoned Yusuf to present himself in person on August 27 when the fate of his seat will be decided.
PTI’s Faisal Zaman – also known as ‘Jahazon Wala’ – was elected from PK-52 Haripur after defeating PML-N’s provincial president and former chief minister Pir Sabir Shah. Pir Sabir has also challenged the legitimacy of Zaman’s BA degree on the basis of which he had won the 2002 election on a Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) ticket.
Zaman claimed he obtained his degree from the University of Nigeria, where his company has been doing business for decades. Shah alleged Zaman’s degree was bogus and the election tribunal also termed it suspicious, after which it referred the matter to District and Sessions Judge Haripur for investigation. Proceedings on the case are likely to start within a few weeks.
Defeated candidates appear to be optimistic about winning the appeals in the hope of giving their constituencies another opportunity to vote in the by-polls, which they believe will be held in the upcoming month in Haripur if the lawmakers are disqualified. The challengers have also started campaigning.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 25th, 2013