LAHORE – Former speaker of the National Assembly, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, has demanded the removal of the ‘controversial’ Returning Officer (RO) of his constituency, NA-129.
In an application to the Election Commision of Pakistan, Ayaz said he would not accept the election results announced by ‘biased’ returning officer Ghulam Murtaza Uppal.
Ayaz asserted that the RO in question was biased and supporting his political opponent, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Aleem Khan.
The politician claimed that he was summoned in person by the RO during scrutiny of nomination papers but his opponent, Aleem Khan was given relaxation and was summoned in the wake of protest by PML-N.
The letter states that Aleem was sent back by the RO without any questioning to “continue with his campaign” whereas the PML-N leader was asked irrelevant and offensive questions regarding his trips abroad and work in his constituency.
The continuing of RO’s working would be deemed as pre-poll rigging and party would react to it, the letter added.
Sadiq had defeated PTI Chairman Imran Khan in the 2013 elections from his home constituency of NA-122 (old delimitation) and also managed to defeat Aleem Khan in the 2015 by-election on the same seat after a cut-throat competition.
For one more time, he will be facing the real estate tycoon on July 25.
