LAHORE - The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed a petition moved by former railways minister Khawaja Saad Rafique against his disqualification and re-election in his constituency, NA-125 (now NA-131).
A two-member bench consisting of Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed and Justice Manzoor Ahmad Malik announced the short order at the Supreme Court’s Lahore registry.
The court had reserved the verdict on March 19. Khawaja Saad Rafique moved the appeal three years ago in 2015. An election tribunal on May 4, 2015, disqualified Khawaja Saad Rafique and declared results of the election null and void with a direction to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold fresh polls in the constituency within two months.
Runner-up candidate of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Hamid Khan had filed the petition, challenging victory of Khawaja Saad Rafique in 2013 general election, to the election tribunal on charges of massive rigging by the PML-N.
According to the new delimitation by the ECP for 2018 general elections, the NA-125 constituency is now NA-131 where PTI Chairman Imran Khan is contesting election against Khawaja Saad Rafique.