The Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, dismissed a plea against Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) President Sardar Akhtar Mengal’s candidacy in Quetta’s NA-264 constituency for the February 8 general elections.
The court upheld the acceptance of Mengal’s nomination papers, rejecting claims filed by a contender, Yasir Ahmad, who had challenged the decision.
Last month, Mengal’s papers were initially rejected by a Returning Officer in Khuzdar, alleging an offshore company link.
Mengal deemed it a “well-planned conspiracy” and contested the decision before an election tribunal, which ruled in his favor on January 5.
The recent Supreme Court verdict reinforces Mengal’s eligibility to participate in the polls.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is gearing up for the upcoming elections, with approximately 51% of polling stations labeled as “sensitive” or “highly sensitive.” Out of 90,675 total polling stations, 46,065 are categorized as sensitive and 18,437 as highly sensitive.
The ECP released the final polling scheme, detailing 2,76,402 polling booths across the country for over 128 million voters.
Concerns were raised about the shortfall of over 150,000 polling booths, potentially impacting voter turnout in certain areas.
In Punjab alone, 50,944 polling stations will be established for the general elections.
