ECP orders re-polling in Daska on March 18.

Byline: Iftikhar A. Khan

ISLAMABAD -- The ElecAtion Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday voided the recently held by-election in NA-75 (Daska) - which was marred by deadly clashes between workers of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N), the mysterious disappearance of around 20 presiding officers and suspected tampering with results - and ordered re-polling in the entire constituency on March 18.

The decision was announAced by a five-member bench of the commission on a petition filed by PML-N candidate in the constituency Nousheen Iftikhar.

The ECP had withheld the results after the polling, as presiding officers in the constituency had gone missing for over seven hours and top officials of the district administration and police were unavailable to help recover the allegedly abducted officers.

The short order read out by Chief Election CommisAsioner Sikandar Sultan Raja said: 'The arguments heard and record perused. From the perusal of available record produced by the parties, the Returning Officer, as well as collected by the commission through different sources, we have come to the conclusion that a conducive environment was not available for the candidates and voters of the constituency, and the election in the subject constituency has not been conducted honestly, justly, fairly and in a transparent manner; incidents of murders, firing and injuries, bad law and order situation in the subject constituency created harassment for voters and other circumstances, leading to make the process of results doubtful/unascertainable.'

The order went on to say: 'This commission in the exercise of powers under Article 218(3) of the Constitution read with Section 9(1) of the Elections Act, 2017, declares the poll held on 19.02.21 in the subject constituency (NA-75, Daska, Sialkot) as void and orders fresh poll/re-poll in the entire constituency on 18th March, 2021.'

During the hearing, the PML-N lawyer pointed out that the controversy involved the entire constituency and that Sub-Divisional Police Officer Zulfiqar Virk had yet to be removed from his post.

In a related development, the ECP summoned chief secretary and inspector general of police, Punjab, to appear before it in person on March 4 to 'explain negligence in performing duties' during the Daska by-election.

The commission ordered transfer and posting of commissioner of Gujranwala Division and Regional Police Officer, Gujranwala range, outside the...