QUETTA: A three-member bench of the Supreme Court on Wednesday restored Haji Mir Obaidullah Gorgage of Pakistan Peoples’ Party as member of the Balochistan Assembly and rejected the verdict of the Balochistan High Court’s election tribunal.

The Supreme Court bench comprised Justice Shahid Waheed, Justice Irfan Sadat Khan and Jus­tice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi.

Mr Gorgage contested election from PB-44, Quetta, in the general elections in February 2024 as a PPP candidate and he was elected the MPA. However, his rival candidate, the National Party’s Atta Muhammad Bangulzai, had challenged Mr Gorgage’s victory in the election tribunal of the Balochistan High Court which, after hearing the petition of Mr Bangulzai, accepted Mr Bangulzai’s petition and de-seated Mr Gorgage.

Mr Gorgage filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the verdict of the election tribunal.

The three-member bench of the Supreme Court, after hearing the petition of Mr Gorgage, rejected the verdict of the BHC tribunal and restored Mr Gorgage as the member of the Balochistan Assembly.

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Advocate Khawaja Haris and Advocate Amanullah Kanrani appeared in the court on behalf of Mr Gorgage while Mr Bangulzai was represented by Advocate Masood Ali Khan.

The same bench of the Supreme Court also rejected the petition of Hammal Khan Baloch who had filed against the election tribunal’s decision that retained the victory of PPP’s Asghar Rind.

The Supreme Court bench, after hearing Mr Baloch’s plea, rejected his petition and stayed the verdict of the election tribunal in favour of Mr Rind.

Advocate Kamran Murtaza and Amanullah Kanrani appeared for Mr Rind while advocate Masood Ali Khan represented the petitioner.

Stay order vacated

The same Supreme Court bench vacated the stay order granted to Mir Ali Madad Jattak of PPP against the decision of the election tribunal and retained the decision of the poll tribunal regarding re-polling in 15 polling stations of PB-45, Quetta.

The apex court rejected the petition of Mr Jattak and ordered re-polling in 15 polling stations.

Published in Dawn, November 21st, 2024