Lahore: In the wake of recent general elections, a storm of controversy has erupted as political candidates of 20 constituencies across Pakistan challenge the announced results, citing irregularities and fraud.
Rehana Dar, an independent candidate, has taken her grievances to the Lahore High Court (LHC), contesting Khawaja Asif’s victory in the NA-71 constituency of Sialkot. Dar alleges that Asif, despite apparent defeat according to form-45, declared himself the winner through suspected collusion via form-47. Her petition calls for a recount and demands the nullification of results based on form-47.
Meanwhile, Dr. Yasmin Rashid has also raised concerns, challenging Nawaz Sharif’s declared victory in the NA-130 constituency of Lahore. Rashid highlights discrepancies between form-45 and form-47 results, seeking a court order to halt the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) from finalizing the outcome and demanding a recount of all votes in her constituency.
Elsewhere, Ayaz Amir contests the results of his constituency, alleging a drastic reduction of over 154,000 votes. He maintains a claimed lead of more than 25,000 votes according to form-45 and warns of peaceful protests if his demands are not met.
The victory of Maryam Nawaz in NA-119 Lahore faces scrutiny as well, with independent candidate Shahzad Farooq challenging the outcome. Farooq accuses the presiding officer (PO) of failing to issue form-45, prompting a petition for court intervention to invalidate Nawaz’s victory.
In NA-126 Lahore, Saiful Maluk Khokhar’s success is under dispute, challenged by Malik Tauqeer Khokhar citing discrepancies between form-45 and form-47 results. Malik urges the court to order a recount and nullify the form-47 result.
With petitions against results in 20 constituencies scheduled for hearing in the LHC on February 12, and independent candidates like Latasab Sati from Murree also contesting results in the ECP, the electoral landscape remains fraught with uncertainty.
The ECP, in response to mounting allegations, has requested an official report on alleged result changes in the NA-47 constituency, further fueling the controversy surrounding Pakistan’s electoral process. Stay tuned for updates as these legal battles unfold.