SC reinstates Speaker Balochistan Assembly Abdul Khaliq 

Islamabad: The Supreme Court Thursday annulled the Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) decision to suspend the Speaker and reinstated Speaker Balochistan Assembly Abdul Khaliq Achakzai.

A three-member bench of Supreme Court headed by Justice Aminuddin Khan held a hearing. Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar remarked that the ECP looked at 12 polling stations but ignored others.

Justice Aminuddin remarked that the Election Commission had neither conducted an inquiry nor observed any rules. Director General (DG) Law told the court that only those 12 polling stations where high turnout was requested were observed.

On which Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar said that ECP should have re-enquired the entire constituency, if the Election Commission had done its work, people would not have had to come to court.

The Supreme Court also annulled the Election Commission's order of re-polling at 12 polling stations of PB-51 Chaman.

With the consent of all the candidates, the Supreme Court again sent the matter to the ECP and ordered that the Election Commission hear all the candidates and take a decision within 10 days.

It is pertinent to note that the Election Commission had ordered re-polling on the request of Asghar Khan Achakzai. The Election Commission had withdrawn the notification of the success of the Speaker while ordering re-polling.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Abdul Khaliq Achakzai challenged the Election Commission's decision in the Supreme Court.