Another blow to PML N; loses two National Assembly seats in one day

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Staff Reporter

2 years ago

LAHORE: The ruling PML-N lost two of its National Assembly seats on Tuesday after separate benches of the Lahore High Court set aside the victory notifications of its lawmakers elected from Gujranwala and Lodhran.

In the meantime, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s victory in Lahore’s NA-130 constituency has been contested before an LHC electoral tribunal by PTI leader Dr. Yasmin Rashid, who is detained.

Tuesday saw the LHC Justice Shahid Karim grant a petition by independent candidate Chaudhry Bilal Ijaz, who is supported by the PTI, against MNA Azhar Qayum Nahra of NA-81 (Gujranwala).

The petitioner’s counsel contended that his client was initially declared elected by 7,791 votes. However, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) conducted a recount at the request of the respondent, Mr Nahra, after which he was declared victorious with a margin of 3,100 votes.

According to the petitioner’s attorney, at least 10,000 of their votes were declared invalid during the recount.

He sought the court to overturn the ECP’s contested recount order because it was illegal, arguing that the commission had broken the law by permitting a recount following the establishment of election tribunals to hear objections to electoral issues.

Justice Karim noted that the ECP had disregarded the Supreme Court’s decision in requesting the recount. The judge also questioned the ECP attorney on whether it was contempt of court to disregard the ruling of the Supreme Court.

The judge granted the petition, rescinding the respondent’s win announcement, because the commission was unable to consider complaints regarding electoral disputes once tribunals had begun operations.

Meanwhile, the Bahawalpur bench of the Lahore High Court unseated Abdul Rehman Kanjoo, the PML-N MNA from NA-154 Lodhran, and declared the petitioner, PTI-backed Rana Faraz Noon, as the winner.

Makhdoom Kalimullah Hashmi, the PTI candidate’s attorney, claims that the LHC bench ruled in an intra-court appeal (ICA) that the ECP’s announcement of Mr. Kanjoo’s win in the general elections on February 8 was deemed void.

In the National Assembly session, Mr. Kanjoo, a former minister, also took an oath of office as an MNA.

Following the success of their pleas, the petitioners—who were runners-up in the polls—will probably be informed that they have been returned as candidates in both cases.

Staff Reporter