Adil Bazai case; Supreme Court expresses anger at Election Commission, raises tough questions

 What inquiry did the commission conduct to verify the facts? Can the Election Commission say that it just didn't like one affidavit and another one came? If the letter from the elder brother comes, then de-seat the person, this cannot happen; remarks during the hearing

Thursday, December 12, 2024

Islamabad (News International/ Pakistan News - 12th December, 2024) The Supreme Court expressed its anger at the Election Commission in the case of Adil Bazai’s de-seating and raised tough questions. According to the details, a 3-member bench of the Supreme Court headed by Justice Mansoor Ali Shah heard the petition against Adil Bazai’s de-seating from the National Assembly seat in the Supreme Court. The bench also included Justice Ayesha Malik and Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi.

During the hearing, Justice Ayesha Malik asked the Election Commission officials, “What inquiry did the commission conduct to verify the facts in the Adil Bazai case?” Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi remarked, “Just get a letter from the big boss, de-seat the person, this cannot happen.” Justice Mansoor Ali Shah said, “They don’t even trust the courts and magistrates, they don’t even inquire themselves. The Election Commission has deployed a bulldozer. Does the Election Commission have the authority to conduct such a trial?” Where does the Election Commission get the power of a trial court? The measure for disfranchising the people of a constituency should be strict.

Adil Bazai’s lawyer Sardar Taimur said, “One day the matter reached the Election Commission and the next day the proceedings were started. We went to the Balochistan High Court to give us the relevant documents. We said, ‘Give us the affidavit that is being said to be an affidavit of affiliation with the PML-N.’ On this, Justice Ayesha Malik said, ‘The Election Commission said that the document is secret.’

On this occasion, the court summoned the DG Law Election Commission to the rostrum and Justice Ayesha Malik said, ‘You had two affidavits, one winner is saying it is mine and the other one is saying it is not mine. Under what authority did you accept one affidavit as valid without an inquiry? Can the Election Commission say that it did not like one affidavit and another came? Is the Election Commission above all the courts of the country? You do not care about anything, do you not believe anyone?’

During the hearing, the Election Commission could not satisfy the Supreme Court about the disqualification of Adil Bazai, upon which the Supreme Court accepted Adil Bazai's appeal against the Election Commission. The court declared the Election Commission's decision to disqualify Adil Bazai from NA-262 Quetta null and void and reinstated him as a Member of the National Assembly.