The Election Commission in Islamabad has revoked the notification issued by the returning officers, who had postponed elections in two National Assembly constituencies, namely NA-83 and NA-85. The Chief Election Commissioner has instructed that the electoral process must proceed, and elections are to be conducted in both constituencies.
This decision came after a petition was presented to the Election Commission regarding the postponement, citing the death of candidates in NA-83 and NA-85 Sargodha. Zulfikar Ali Bhatti, the petitioner and PML-N candidate, informed the commission that the death certificate of the deceased candidate, Sadiq Ali, bears a date of January 15. However, upon investigation, it was revealed that Sadiq Ali passed away on January 2, with the funeral held on January 3, indicating a potential case of forgery.
The District Returning Officer (DRO) in Sargodha confirmed that the inquiry substantiated Sadiq Ali’s demise on January 2. The Returning Officer for NA-85 added that they were provided with a fraudulent death certificate.
In response, the Chief Election Commissioner annulled the notifications issued by the Returning Officers to postpone the elections. Additionally, the Commissioner directed the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Sargodha to take appropriate action against the Secretary of the Union Council implicated in the matter.
