MULTAN: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has secured third wicket, as the Multan Election Tribunal here on Wednesday announced its verdict in NA-154 Lodhran rigging case and declared the elections null and void and ordered re-elections.
The panel issued its ruling on a petition filed by PTI’s Jehangir Tareen in a case of alleged vote fraud in 2013 elections on the seat. Tareen had accused Baloch of rigging in the elections and challenged his educational degree too Independent candidate Siddique Khan Baloch had won the elections by obtaining 86,177 votes in the general elections, while PTI candidate Jehangir Khan Tareen bagged 75,955 votes. Later, the winning candidate joined the PML-N.
Jehangir Khan Tareen rejected the election result and filed an application with the Election Commission of Pakistan for recounting of votes. The Lodhran district returning officer conducted the recounting after which Siddique Khan Baloch got 1,000 more votes. But Tareen also rejected the recounting and filed a petition in the election tribunal, stating the election was rigged. He also challenged the academic degree of Siddique Khan Baloch.
The election tribunal reserved the judgment on the last hearing on August 22. And on Wednesday, the verdict came in the favour of PTI’s Jehangir Tareen.
