PML-N leaders face court challenge

Petitioners allege irregularities in result preparation

LAHORE:

Over a dozen petitions have been filed in the Lahore High Court, contesting the victories of key PML-N candidates, including three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz, and Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) leader Aleem Khan.

The petitioners argued that their rights were violated as they were not allowed to witness the consolidation process of the election results at RO offices during the preparation of Form-47.

Independent candidates supported by PTI, who secured runner-up positions, claimed that they were forcibly evicted from the premises by police officials acting at the behest of various ROs, barring them from observing the result consolidation process. They argued that this eviction constitutes a blatant violation of the fair process for witnessing the crucial phase of elections.

The petitioners urged the high court to set aside the forms prepared in their absence, and demanded that ROs conduct the consolidation process in compliance with the Election Act and Rules 2017, allowing them and their agents to be present.

PTI-backed independent candidates challenged the victories of PML-N candidates, including Nawaz Sharif from NA-130, Maryam Nawaz from NA-119, Khawaja Asif from NA-71 Sialkot, Hamza Shehbaz Sharif from NA-118, Atta Tarar from NA-127, Saiful Maluk Khokhar from NA-126, and others from different constituencies. IPP’s candidate Aleem Khan's victory in NA-117 is also under dispute.

Read: PML-N victories in Punjab challenged in LHC

Additionally, PTI-backed independent candidates contesting for five seats of the Punjab Assembly challenged the victories of PML-N contestants from PP-169, PP-53, PP-47, PP-62 and PP-46 on similar grounds of being forcibly removed from RO offices.

One independent candidate, Ishtiaq Ahmed Samsialvi, challenged Nawaz Sharif's victory from NA-130, alleging that he and others were asked to leave the RO office when PTI-backed candidate Dr Yasmeen Rashid was leading. The petitioner requested the court to set aside the Form-47 and direct the RO to conduct the consolidation process in his presence.

Another PTI-backed candidate, Shahzad Farooq, challenged Maryam Nawaz's victory in NA-119, claiming that he and his polling agents had been forcibly removed from the RO's office at a time when the results were in his favour. He requested the court to provide copies of Form-45 and allow him to participate in the consolidation process, further requesting for orders to prevent the RO from announcing the final result.

The PTI-backed contestants, including Rihana Dar, argued that they and their agents were forcibly removed from ROs' offices as the results favoured them. They implored the court to set aside the Form-47 prepared in their absence and direct the ROs to conduct the consolidation process in their presence.

A day earlier, Justice Ali Baqar Najafi of the LHC had restrained further proceedings regarding the election results of NA-128, suspending the operation of Form-47 prepared by the RO in the absence of the PTI-backed candidate Salman Akram Raja or his agent.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 11^th 2024.