May 11 elections: SC hears PTI petition challenging PML-N seats

NA-110, NA-122, NA-125 and NA 154 named in the petition for verification of thumb impressions.

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court heard Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) request for seeking the verification of thumb impressions of votes in four constituencies secured by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders in the May 11 elections, Express News reported on Monday.

Led by Chief Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani, a three-member bench heard the petition today. The bench also includes Justice Amir Hani Muslim and Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan.

The PTI chairman had filed a petition at the Supreme Court seeking ‘verification of thumb impressions’ in NA-110, NA-122, NA-125 and NA 154.

He had alleged massive fraud in the elections and called for the verification of voters’ thumb impressions with the help of the National Database Registration Authority (NADRA).

The Supreme Court had decided to take up the petition. However, the chief justice remarked that accepting the PTI's petition would mean, "people from Karachi to Khyber will approach the Supreme Court with their requests".

The apex court ordered that records of the election tribunal be submitted to the court as well.

While talking to the media in Islamabad PTI chairman Imran Khan stated that "democracy depends on free and fair elections," adding that the Supreme Court has taken the first step towards it and this is only the start of the journey.

Vote fraud controversy

During a press conference in Lahore on December 14, the PTI chairman had said that if the votes were recounted then record rigging will be revealed.

“Government has recognized that 60 to 70 thousand votes are unverified in each of the constituencies,” Imran had added.

On December 9, the top court admitted miscellaneous petitions seeking the verification of thumb impressions in four constituencies for preliminary hearing after Imran’s attorney Hamid Khan shot down objections raised by the Supreme Court registrar against his client’s petition. The petition filed by Imran on June 8 was returned by the registrar office and the petitioner was asked to approach another forum for this purpose.

The development had come after Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan invited the parliamentary leaders of all political parties for a brainstorming session on the vote fraud controversy.

National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq was elected on NA-122; Defence Minister Khawaja Asif had won from NA-110; Railway Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique had defeated PTI’s Hamid Khan in NA-125 and Sadiq Baloch had outvoted PTI’s Secretary General Jahangir Tareen in NA-154.