Election tribunal disqualifies Fathullah Khan from GB Assembly

GILGIT: Gilgit-Baltistan’s Planning Minister Fathullah Khan was disqualified from being a member of the Assembly and the Election Tribunal of Gilgit-Baltistan meanwhile ruled in favour of PPP’s Jameel Ahmed for the remaining term.

Former Deputy Speaker GB Assembly Jameel Ahmed had challenged Fateh Khan’s victory from Gilgit II constituency in 2020 elections alleging election rigging. Fatehullah won on the PTI ticket. He recently joined the Forward Bloc, deviating from the party’s policy regarding the election of the chief minister, which resulted in his termination of membership.

The Election Tribunal of Gilgit-Baltistan, headed by Judge of Chief Court Justice Inaytur Rehman heard the arguments and passed the judgment that after the equality of general votes proved between the petitioner Jamil Ahmed and the returned candidate Fataullah Khan are declared as the return candidates and each one of them entitled to represent his constituency in the assembly for half of its term of office. Since Fatah Ullah Khan was already declared returned candidate in the election commission Gilgit Baltistan and he already represented his constituency during the first half of the term of the assembly, therefore requisite notices as per the mandate of section 159 of the Election Act 2017 are hereby dispensed with.

The Election Commission Gilgit Baltistan be directed to notify the petitioner as a returning candidate for the remaining half period of the GB Assembly elected through the general election 2020 with immediate effect in partial modification of its notification of declaration of the successful candidate. The returned candidate Jamil Ahmed had served as deputy speaker in Gilgit Baltistan as a technocrat member of assembly during the People Party’s government in 2009. In 2015 general election he had lost to former chief Minister Hafeezur Rehman.