ISLAMABAD: Raheela Magsi is again in the race for the Senate seat as the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday allowed her to contest the elections.

The IHC in its interim order asked the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to withhold this seat result until it gives final verdict in the case.

Read: Is Raheela Magsi’s Senate race over?

Magsi, a PML-N candidate for the women’s reserved seat from Islamabad, on Monday filed a petition in the IHC against her disqualification. The ECP on February 27 disqualified Magsi after Nargis Faiz Malik, a PPP candidate, questioned her transfer of vote from Tando Allah Yar to Islamabad after the announcement of the election schedule.

Arguing before the bench, Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan, counsel for Ms Malik, said at the time of submission of papers, Ms Magsi’s vote was still registered in Tando Allah Yar.

Syed Iftikhar Gillani, Ms Magsi’s counsel, however, said there were many candidates from one province contesting from another province. He said the transfer of vote could not form the basis for rejection of nomination papers as the commission had itself stated in categorical terms that Section 20 of the Electoral Rolls Act regarding transfer of vote did not apply on the Senate elections.

The counsel maintained that the ECP had cleared some candidates who had transferred their votes and added that disqualification of Magsi was an act of discrimination.

IHC division bench granting interim relief to the petitioner and issued notices to the attorney general and advocates general, seeking their comments within a fortnight.

Published in Dawn March 5th , 2015

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