Pakistan: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has withdrawn the victory notification of former provincial minister Zamarak Khan as a member of the Balochistan Assembly from PB-50 (Qilla Abdullah). The ECP announced re-election in the entire constituency on April 21, following orders from the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court had ordered re-election for the PB-50 constituency after mutual consent of all political parties and the ECP. The court annulled ECP’s earlier order for re-polling at six polling stations and directed the electoral watchdog to conduct fresh polls in the constituency.
Awami National Party’s Zamarak Khan had been declared victorious from PB-50 in the Feb 8 polls, which was challenged by Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam’s Malik Nawaz in the ECP. The ANP leader’s counsel had contended that the turnout at many polling stations of the constituency remained “unnatural,” leading to the decision for re-election.
The announcement comes after a week of protests in Balochistan by political and religious parties against alleged election irregularities, including rigging and manipulation. The protests intensified demands for electoral transparency and accountability in the region.
