MUZAFFARABAD (Kashmir English): The Supreme Court of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) has ordered the Election Tribunal to decide the LA-16 Bagh Sharqi election rigging case filed by Sardar Qamar-uz-Zaman Khan within 60 days.
According to the details, former government minister and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) candidate Sardar Qamar-uz-Zaman Khan filed a case regarding alleged rigging during the 2021 Azad Kashmir general elections against government minister and PTI candidate Sardar Mir Akbar in the Election Tribunal.
After the Election Tribunal did not make a decision, Sardar Qamar-uz-Zaman Khan approached the Azad Kashmir High Court. The court has now ordered the Election Tribunal to decide the case within 60 days, and a decision is expected soon.
It should be remembered that in the 2021 elections, there was a high-voltage contest between Sardar Qamar-uz-Zaman Khan and Sardar Mir Akbar, as the polluting booths were burned at some polling stations, which led to re-polling.
In the re-polling, Sardar Qamar-uz-Zaman Khan lost to Sardar Mir Akbar by 296 votes.
It is also worth mentioning that Sardar Mir Akbar had won on a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) ticket, while Sardar Qamar-uz-Zaman had contested the election on a PPP ticket.
If the High Court orders a decision within two months and rigging is proven, there will be a re-election in the constituency. According to political analysts, former Prime Minister Tanveer Ilyas can also contest the re-election.
