At least five people received minor injuries in a scuffle between supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Wednesday just before the judgement of Election tribunal Multan on an election petition of Jahangir Khan Tareen against Siddique Khan Baloch MNA from NA-154.
A large number of police personnel were also deployed around the building for security duty, but they were largely unable to control the situation as supporters chanted slogans and clashed with the opposing party's workers. Independent candidate Siddique Khan Baloch had won the elections by obtaining 86,177 out of total 235,938 votes polled in the 2013 general elections while PTI candidate Jehangir Khan Tareen bagged 75,955 votes and PML-N candidate Rafiq-uddin Bukhari got 45,635. Voter turnout was 67.4 percent in this constituency. Later, the winning candidate joined the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
Jehangir Khan Tareen rejected the election result and filed an application with the Election Commission of Pakistan for a vote recount. The Lodhran district returning officer conducted the recount after which Siddique Khan Baloch got 1,000 more votes; but Tareen also rejected the recount and filed a petition in the election tribunal, stating the election was rigged. He also challenged the academic degree of Siddique Khan Baloch. The election tribunal reserved the judgement on the last hearing on August 22 and fixed August 26 (today) for announcement of verdict.
In May, an election tribunal annulled the results of the NA-125 constituency where PML-N leader Khawaja Saad Rafique had returned as the winning candidate in the 2013 general elections. Later, a Lahore election tribunal declared the NA-122 election null and void from where National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq had won the election.