Majority of poll pleas still pending

Between April 21 and July 31, election tribunals decided 35 more petitions

ISLAMABAD:

Election tribunals decided 35 election petitions related to 2024 general elections between April 21 and July 31, 2025. With these decisions, the total number of resolved petitions reached 171, accounting for 46% of the overall caseload pending before 23 tribunals across the four provinces.

Through its systematic tracking, the Free and Fair Election Network (Fafen) identified 374 election petitions — 124 challenging the electoral outcomes in the National Assembly constituencies and 250 in the provincial assemblies' (PA) constituencies.

So far, approximately two-thirds (62%) of the petitions related to NA constituencies, and half (50%) of those pertaining to provincial assemblies' constituencies, remain undecided.

During the reporting period, 28 of the 35 decided petitions were from Punjab, three each from Sindh and the K-P, and one from Balochistan.

In Punjab, the four Lahore-based tribunals decided 15 petitions, the Bahawalpur tribunal decided nine, while the Rawalpindi and Multan tribunals decided two each.

In Sindh, the two Karachi tribunals decided three petitions. In K-P the Bannu tribunal decided three cases. In Balochistan, a Quetta tribunal decided one petition.

While Punjab tribunals have gained pace in deciding the petitions, adjudication process in the remaining three provinces has slowed noticeably since April 2025. As many as 12 out of the 23 election tribunals have not concluded any petitions since April 21, 2025.

Overall, Balochistan's three tribunals have collectively decided 44 out of 52 petitions (85%) filed for NA and PA constituencies. Punjab's eight tribunals have resolved 94 out of 192 petitions (49%).

The K-P's six tribunals have decided 12 out of 43 petitions (28%), while Sindh's five tribunals have disposed of 21 out of 84 petitions (25%).

Out of 124 petitions challenging NA constituency results, 47 (38%) have been decided thus far. These include 30 from Punjab, nine from Balochistan, five from Sindh, and three from the K-P.

Regarding PA constituencies, 124 out of 250 petitions (50%) have been decided, including 64 from Punjab, 35 from Balochistan, 16 from Sindh, and nine from the K-P.

Out of the 171 petitions decided so far, 168 have been dismissed, while only three have been accepted.

Among the 168 dismissals, 81 petitions (48%) — including 24 related to NA constituencies and 57 to PA constituencies — were dismissed on grounds of non-maintainability.

Another 22 petitions (13%) were dismissed after petitioners failed to prove their case during trial proceedings.