Election tribunal de-seats NA deputy speaker

QUETTA: The election result in NA-265 has been declared as null and void by the election tribunal of the Balochistan High Court (BHC) that effectively de-seating Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Qasim Suri.

The tribunal also ordered that a fresh election would be held in the constituency from where Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Qasim Suri was declared the winner in the general elections of 2018.

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The victory of Qasim Suri had been challenged by Balochistan National Party (BNP) leader Nawabzada Lashkari Raisani who had alleged that his opponent had won through the rigging. Raisani had said that half of the votes cast in the constituency were invalid.

Earlier this month, the BHC had reserved the decision on the case which was announced on Friday by Justice Abdullah Baloch. The result comes as a setback for the ruling coalition in the federal government.