ECP snubs Nawaz’s plea against NA-15 results

Commission tells PML-N supremo’s lawyer to file application again

ISLAMABAD:

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday dismissed PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif’s application for stopping the notification of the results of NA-15 Mansehra – a constituency where he lost to PTI-backed independent candidate Shahzada Gustasap Khan.

A two-member bench, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, was hearing the complaints of candidates who had challenged the election results.

Nawaz’s lawyer did not appear before the bench and the NA-15 Mansehra returning officer (RO) while submitting his report to the commission said the constituency’s result had been compiled as per Form 45.

The ECP bench rejected the PML-N supremo’s application to stop the notification of the successful candidate, directing his lawyer to file it again.

As the ROs submitted their reports on the NA-56 and NA-57, the bench declared the applications of independent candidates Shehryar Riaz and Samaya Tahir admissible. In NA-56 Rawalpindi-V and NA-57 Rawalpindi-IV, PML-N’s Hanif Abbasi and Danyal Chaudhry had defeated Riaz and Tahir, respectively.

The ECP bench summoned the successful candidates in the two National Assembly constituencies and their ROs in person for the next hearing.

The ECP informed the IHC that it had withdrawn the notification regarding the victory of Aun Chaudhry from NA-128 (Lahore) in the general elections.

The bench also reserved its decision on the applications filed by PTI-backed independent candidate Basharat Raja for NA-55 Rawalpindi-IV and party president Chaudhry Pervez Elahi for PP-32 Gujrat-VI. Basharat and Elahi were defeated by PML-N’s Ibrar Ahmed and PML-Q’s Chaudhry Salik Hussain, respectively.

The CEC said the ECP did not make decisions on the basis of media reports and those implicating allegations of rigging or tampering of results must also present evidence.

The bench, while issuing a notice to NA-234 Karachi RO, adjourned the hearing of the matter till February 21.

On the request of Qaisra Elahi, the wife of the PTI president, the hearing for NA-64 Gujrat-III was adjourned till Friday (today).

The hearing on the applications related to Lahore constituencies NA-126 and NA-127 was adjourned till next week.
Separately, voting on Thursday concluded peacefully at 26 polling stations of NA-88 (Khushab-II) in Punjab, two of PS-18 (Ghotki-I) in Sindh, and 25 of PK-90 (Kohat-I) in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

PPP’s Shehryar Khan Shar is competing against JUI-F’s Nasir Mehmood and independent candidate Jam Mehtab Hussain Dhar for PS-18 (Ghotki-I).

PTI-backed independent candidate Aftab Alam Afridi is in the race for PK-90 (Kohat-I) against PPP’s Amjad Khan Afridi and JUI-F’s Muhammad Shoaib.

(With input from our correspondents in Lahore, Peshawar and Hyderabad)