LHC dismisses Usman Dar's NA-73 recount plea

Petition dismissed after LHC bench stayed Asif's victory notification

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday dismissed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Usman Dar's petition for a recount in NA-73 Sialkot after Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader Khawaja Asif won the seat.

The petition was dismissed after a bench of the high court stayed Asif's victory notification on Tuesday. The PML-N leader will be notified as an MNA from Sialkot if Dar does not approach the apex court.



On Monday, LHC ordered the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to withhold Khawaja Asif's and Rana Sanaullah's victory notifications.

Justice Mamoonul Rasheed gave the directives after hearing petitions by Dar and Nisar Ahmed Nisar against the two PML-N heavyweights. Asif emerged victorious in Sialkot NA-73 while Sanaullah won from Faisalabad NA-106.

Dar’s advocates Anees Hashmi and Tajammul Gondal maintained he had secured the second position from NA-73. “I lost to Asif by only 1,406 votes. Over 7,000 votes were rejected and the RO did not provide form 45 to polling agents.”



The petitioner had said that since the RO had rejected an earlier recount plea, the court should order votes to be recounted. The petitioner also requested the court to stay the notification of Asif’s victory.