The Lahore High Court on Monday issued notice to Election Commission of Pakistan for Tuesday (today) and barred from issuing notification Rana Sanaullah as returned candidate from NA-131. The court also restrained ECP from issuing victory notifications of PTI candidate from NA-118, Nankana Sahib and a PML-N winning candidate from PP-123 Toba Tek Singh and sought reply from Election Commission of Pakistan.
The PML-N candidate from NA-118 Shizra Mansab Khan pleaded that she lost election with a margin of 2405 while 9257 votes were deliberately rejected in her constituency. Other candidate, Sonia Ali of PTI, from PP-123 pleaded that the she lost election with a thin margin of 70 votes but the RO dismissed his application for recounting of votes.
The court also reserved its judgments in a petition challenging victory of former minister Khawaja Asif, from NA-73 and another petition Faisal Saleh Hayat seeking a complete vote recount in his constituency NA-114 and petition against PTI-information secretary Fawad Ch challenging his victory from PP-27. The court was hearing two petitions against Rana Sanaullah seeking a vote recount as well as his disqualification.
The petitioner, Dr Nisar Ahmed, has challenged the former Punjab law minister's win, arguing that he "caused harm to the sanctity of Islam" thereby violating articles 62 and 63 of the constitution. PTI candidate Usman Dar pleaded that he was defeated with a margin of 1406 votes while 7346 votes were rejected in his constituency. He pointed out his polling agents were not provided form-45 which is, he said, tantamount to irregularities. He asked the court to stay victory notification and order a complete recount in the constituency.
The counsel for Faisal Hayat pleaded that he stood second in 25 July general elections by securing 16454 votes while his opponent candidate of PTI Mehboob Sultan obtained 16043 votes. He said as many as 12970 votes were rejected and the returning officer (RO) in NA-114 had stopped the practice after recounting of ten polling stations. However, his defeat margin was decreed from 589 to 538. He said RO turned down his plea for a complete vote recount. He prayed to the court to issue order for a complete recount in the constituency.
Another petitioner a candidate of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Nisar Ahmed Jutt pleaded to direct the ECP to withhold its notification with regard to the PML-N leader's win in NA-106. He said his opponent candidate obtained 106310 votes while he got 103779 votes. However, RO rejected his plea for a complete recount.
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