Pakistan Speaker unseated by tribunal over poll rigging

LAHORE: In a jolt to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's PML-N, National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq was today unseated by Punjab election commission's tribunal as it ordered a re-poll in his constituency, accepting Imran Khan's petition challenging the 2013 result on grounds of rigging.

The tribunal declared the election in the NA-122 constituency null and void though Sadiq can appeal the verdict in Supreme Court.

60-year-old Sadiq, who is from the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (N) had defeated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Khan after which the party had challenged the results.

Khan's counsel Anis Ali said the "election tribunal had unseated Ayaz Sadiq" as member of the National Assembly, adding that he was "no more the speaker of the house".

PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi termed the decision as historic, adding that it would go a long way in ensuring a transparent election system in Pakistan, the Dawn reported.

The tribunal had reserved the verdict on August 17 after Sadiq's counsel concluded his arguments against the petition filed by the cricket-turned-politician Khan, the runner-up candidate from the constituency.

The tribunal appointed a retired sessions judge as local commission on December 8, 2014. On tribunal's order, the country's population database authority NADRA held an inspection of the constituency record and submitted its final report on May 9 this year.

The authority submitted a supplementary report on May 30.