- Extra hearing judge hears Senate election fraud case 2021.
- ECP lawyer says suspect is using delaying tactics in case.
- Indictment postponed for failure to appear in court.
A district and session court in Islamabad on Wednesday issued an arrest warrant for Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Ali Haider Gillani in a Senate election fraud case for his failure to appear in court.
Additional hearings Judge Umeed Ali Baloch heard the case related to alleged horse trafficking in the 2021 Senate elections.
Ahead of the Senate election, a video appeared on social media in which Ali Haider, the son of the former prime minister and then joint opposition candidate for Senate President Yousuf Raza Gillani, allegedly explained to lawmakers how to tamper with their votes.
At today’s hearing, the court deferred charges against the Gillani and the other two accused, Fahim Khan and Jameel Khan.
The court also issued no bail warrants for the other two suspects in the case.
The lawyers of the suspects filed requests to exempt their clients from appearing.
However, the lawyer of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Saad Hasan, objected to the waiver requests, saying the suspects used delaying tactics in the case.
After hearing the arguments, the judge issued arrest warrants for the accused and adjourned the hearing of the case until June 16.
The then-ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party claimed in March 2021 that their legislators were bought with money by the PPP leader.
“In the March 2 video, the candidate’s son, Ali Haider Gillani, could be seen offering bribes to buy votes,” said the PTI lawyer who filed an application with the ECP.
The PTI emerged as the largest party in the upper house with 18 seats, followed by PPP with eight seats on March 3.
The PTI government had accused the then-opposition of being involved in illegal practices by using money to win votes, while the opposition blamed the ruling party for raising the issue of open voting because it had doubts to the loyalty of legislators.
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