NA-125 rigging case: SC annuls tribunal’s verdict against Saad Rafique

LAHORE: The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled in Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Khawaja Saad Rafique's favour in a case pertaining to alleged rigging in NA-125 constituency during the 2013 general election.

Accepting Rafique’s appeal, a two-member bench of the apex court’s Lahore Registry annulled a decision by an election tribunal which had declared poll results in NA-125 null and void and ordered by-election in the constituency.

Rafique had defeated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf candidate Hamid Khan in the said constituency during the 2013 elections. Hamid had then filed an application in the election tribunal levelling allegations of rigging against the former federal minister.

The tribunal had ordered by-election in NA-125 and disqualified Rafique from contesting in the constituency, following which the PML-N leader had approached the Supreme Court to appeal against the decision.