SC extends stay order in Qasim Suri case

Islamabad: The Supreme Court on Monday adjourned a petition filed by Deputy Speaker National Assembly Qasim Suri challenging an election tribunal’s Sept 27, 2019 verdict that declared his election from National Assembly seat, NA-265 (Quetta-II), null and void and ordered re-election.

A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Umar Ata Bandial, extended its stay order, suspending the operation of the verdict in question until Feb 11. The other two members of the bench were Justice Faisal Arab and Justice Yahya Afridi. The hearing was put off until February 11.

The bench also took up a petition by Balochistan Awami Party’s (BAP) Akbar Askani against the tribunal’s Dec 31, that declared his election as void. Akbar Askani had returned elected from PB -48 Kech-IV constituency.

Earlier, Qasim Suri’s lawyer Naeem Bukhari had said in the plea that irregularities in the electoral process could not be attributed to his client. He pleaded with the bench to declare the decision of the election tribunal as void.

An election tribunal presided over by Justice Abdullah Baloch had ordered re-election in the Quetta constituency on Sept 27.

Balochistan National Party’s (BNP) Lashkari Raisani had challenged the victory of Qasim Suri, who contested the 2018 general election on a ticket of the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP).