ISLAMABAD: The electoral body has conditionally restored the legislative membership of a Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) lawmaker in pursuance of a Supreme Court order, pending the final outcome of this case in the apex court.
In this context, a recent notification issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) stated that Nawaz Jangayz Marri was restored as returned candidate from Balochistan Assembly’s seat PB-9 Kohlu, pursuant to an order passed by the SC on 12th August.
On the aforementioned date, a three-member SC bench suspended the Balochistan Election Tribunal’s decision to suspend Marri’s legislative membership till the final decision in this case.
The SC order also led to the cancellation of a re-poll at four polling stations of PB-9 on 27th August.
On 29th July, the Election Tribunal III Quetta, comprising Balochistan High Court (BHC) judge Justice Aamir Nawaz Rana, annulled Marri’s election victory notification, and ordered a re-poll at four polling stations of PB-9 Kohlu.
The ET issued this order on a petition filed by Mir Naseebullah Khan from Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
In the general elections held on 8 February 2024, the ECP had declared PPP’s Khan as the returned candidate for PB-9 Kohlu, who received 5,888 votes, followed by PML-N’s Marri, who got 2,479 votes—less than half of the votes Khan had bagged.
Marri challenged the election results in the ECP that ordered a re-poll at the seven polling stations of PB-9 on 16 February 2024.
After the re-poll, the ECP, on 20 February 2024, declared Marri as the returned candidate with 7,544 against Marri’s 6,277 votes.
Khan moved the SC. Again, the re-poll was held, this time at four polling stations, on 26th June 2024.
On 4th July 2024, the ECP again declared Marri as the returned candidate for PB-9 with 7,147 votes, followed by Khan’s 6,197 votes.
Yet again, Khan challenged the results, this time in the ET. On 29th July this year, the ET ordered a re-poll at the four polling stations of PB-9.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026