Advancing arguments on behalf of a runner-up candidate of NA-110, Sialkot Usman Dar, Babar Awan on Tuesday contended before Supreme Court that there were 50,000 unverified votes in the constituency. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Khawaja Asif had won from BA-110 (Sialkot) with 92,803 votes in the 2013 general elections. The runner-up candidate of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Usman Dar, who secured 71,525 votes, had challenged the results before the Election Tribunal.
The tribunal turned down Dar's plea, which he later challenged before the apex court. Earlier, in pursuance of court's directives, National Database Registration Authority (Nadra) produced a report in the matter, saying due to bad quality of fingerprints 14,048 counterfoils out of 19,028 could not be verified in 26 polling stations of the constituency.
Appearing before a three-member bench of Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, Dar's counsel Babar Awan alleged that the returning officer of the constituency was hand in glove with PML-N candidate Khawaja Asif.
To which, a member of the bench Justice Amir Hani Muslim observed that if Babar Awan had accusations against the returning officer then why he had not been summoned. Justice Hani further said that irregularities by a candidate in a constituency could not be proved without cross-examination of the concerned returning officer. Later, Babar Awan said that he will finalize arguments in the matter by next date of hearing; to which the bench adjourned the hearing of the case till November 09 (today).
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