ECP asked to cough up crucial records

Election tribunal seeks records for six constituencies

LAHORE:

In a major twist, the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) election tribunal has turned up the pressure on the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), asking the electoral body to cough up crucial records for six hotly contested national and provincial assembly constituencies.

The directive targets constituencies where several political heavyweights, including Maryam Nawaz, Abdul Aleem Khan and Hamza Shahbaz, claimed victory.

The tribunal, led by Justice Anwaar Hussain, issued the order on Friday, mandating the ECP, along with Maryam Nawaz and other candidates, to furnish the original Forms 45 and accompanying affidavits by the next hearing.

The move follows a slew of petitions lodged by defeated candidates who have cried foul over the election results, alleging discrepancies.

Justice Hussain specifically instructed the ECP to submit certified copies of Forms 45, 46, and 47 for constituencies PP-159, PP-147, PP-165, NA-128, NA-117, and NA-126.

These forms, which record the detailed election results, are crucial to the ongoing scrutiny.

The development springs from election petitions challenging the outcomes of the February 8 general elections. The petitions allege that the victories were marred by irregularities, prompting the tribunal to dig deeper into the matter.

The tribunal’s ruling requires that all involved parties, including the ECP and candidates, provide the original documents and affidavits by June 27.

This includes an order for the ECP to present certified copies of Forms 45, 46, and 47, along with an affidavit confirming the results uploaded to the Election Management System (EMS).

The tribunal has also demanded the production of original Forms 45 from Abdul Aleem Khan’s constituency.

Similarly, a petition filed by Sunni Ittehad Council’s Aliya Hamza contests Hamza Shahbaz’s win, leading the tribunal to request the original election documents for his constituency as well.

With the clock ticking towards the June 27 deadline, all eyes are on the ECP and the implicated candidates as the tribunal seeks to untangle the web of claims surrounding the controversial election results.

It is pertinent to note that the Supreme Court, on Thursday, declined to suspend the LHC May 29 ruling and called for the establishment of a larger five-judge bench to resolve the dispute over whether the ECP or the high court should appoint tribunals to address electoral disputes.

This decision was made by a two-judge bench, led by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa, which reviewed an appeal from the ECP seeking to overturn the LHC’s order.

The court dismissed the request from senior counsel Sikandar Bashir Mohmand, representing the ECP, to suspend the LHC’s ruling. The counsel expressed concern that without suspension, the judgment would hinder meaningful consultations between the ECP and the LHC chief justice.