GB election tribunal suspends IPP's Malik Imam's membership, orders recount of postal ballots in GBA-16 Diamer-II

GILGIT: A Gilgit-Baltistan election tribunal on Friday suspended the GB Assembly membership of Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party’s (IPP) Malik Imam from GBA-16 Diamer-II, directing the returning officer (RO) of the constituency to complete the verification and counting of postal ballot papers by September 16.

Election tribunal judge Mushtaq Ahmed conducted a hearing on a petition filed by PPP candidate Attaullah Khan challenging the general election result in the constituency.

Khan, through his counsel Advocate Islamuddin, had challenged the issuance of the election result of GBA-16 Diamer-II after the GB general elections in June.

The petitioner argued that the RO of the constituency had issued Form 49 without counting the postal ballots. Subsequently, the GB chief election commissioner (CEC) had declared Malik, then an independent candidate, the winner from the constituency. He later joined the IPP.

The petitioner pleaded with the tribunal to declare the result of the constituency null and void and the notification declaring the returned candidate illegal.

He also requested the tribunal to issue a consolidated result after counting the postal ballots.

After hearing arguments from both sides and considering reports from the CEC, Justice Ahmed issued the verdict in the case on Friday.

The judgement said the RO had no authority to issue a provisional consolidated result. The CEC had also committed a serious error by issuing a declaration based on the provisional consolidated result, it added.

“The preliminary order is issued to ensure strict compliance with the mandatory statutory requirement under Section 95 of the Elections Act 2017 read with Rule 85 of the Elections Rules 2017, for the issuance of the final consolidated result of the constituency GBA-16 Diamer-II,” Justice Ahmed wrote in his judgement.

The judgement directed the RO of the constituency to open the sealed parcel containing the postal ballot papers in the presence of the parties or their duly authorised agents.

The order said: “To ensure transparency and judicial oversight, Fahad Bin Naqeeb, a senior civil judge, Gilgit, and Raja Mir, assistant registrar, GB Chief Court, along with the assisting team of this tribunal, shall remain present throughout the result consolidation proceedings.”

The election tribunal judge also directed the police to make stringent and foolproof security arrangements at the venue.

It added that upon completion of the verification and counting of postal ballot papers, the RO would prepare and issue the final consolidated result, Form-49, and submit it to the CEC.

It said that, on the basis of the final consolidated result, the CEC would issue a fresh declaration of the returned candidate.

The order said the entire exercise should be concluded within five days, including Sunday, September 13, from the date of the order.

The order declared the final consolidated result of the constituency, dated June 16, 2025, illegal for not including the postal ballot papers. It also suspended Malik’s membership of GBA-16 Diamer-II until completion of the final consolidated result.