LAHORE – The supreme court has suspended the directives by the Lahore High Court regarding re-tabulation of results in NA-131 constituency, accepting PTI chief Imran Khan’s petition.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Saad Rafique had petitioned the high court seeking a recount in the constituency from where Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan had emerged victorious in July 25 polls.
Rafique had challenged Imran’s victory in the closely contested NA-131 Lahore-9 constituency, alleging that the presiding officer deliberately rejected hundreds of votes.
As the hearing went underway on Wednesday, the Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar said that NA-131’s result had already been declared.
https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/headline/ecp-stays-notification-of-imran-khans-victory-from-two-constituencies/
“Notice of political speeches should be taken on appropriate forum, there’s no need of recount” he remarked.
On the occasion, Rafique’s legal counsel contended that a recount request is valid if the victory margin is less than five per cent, however, the apex court suspended LHC’s ruling for re-tabulation and accepted Imran’s request for hearing.
Yesterday, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had withheld the notification of Imran’s success in NA-131 owing to the same litigation.
Imran – the Prime Minister-in-waiting – had received 84,313 votes while Rafique got 83,633 votes in the general elections.
Saad Rafique decried the decision of the top court and expressed his reservations in a tweet.
https://twitter.com/KhSaad_Rafique/status/1027079902527406082
On the other hand, PTI spokesperson, Fawad Chaudhry welcomed the decision and advised the former Railways minister to accept the verdict.
https://twitter.com/fawadchaudhry/status/1027058624743583751
