SC suspends LHC verdict of vote recount in NA-131
The decision was announced by Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar.
LAHORE (Dunya News) – Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday has suspended Lahore High Court’s (LHC) verdict of vote recount in an important constituency NA-131.
During the proceeding on the appeal of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chief Imran Khan against the decision, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar said that there is no need of any recounting in the constituency.
Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan said that hearing such issue comes under jurisdiction of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
Meanwhile, Saad Rafique’s lawyer stated Imran Khan, in his victory speech after election results, said that he has no issue with recounting in any constituency over which, CJP remarked that these are political statements and we are not here to analyze them.
SC also dismissed leader of Awami Raaj Party (ARP) Jamshed Dasti’s plea of recounting in NA-182 Muzaffargarh and directed him to approach Election Tribunal for further process. In this constituency, Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Mehar Irshad Ahmed won with 53054 votes while Jamshed Dasti lost with 50566 votes.
Politicians react to SC decision
Taking to social net-working website Twitter, PML-N leader Saad Rafique said that he was deprived of his legal right to demand vote recount in his constituency under Election Act.
He said the government of PTI will be formed on rigging as Imran Khan approached SC when reality of his bogus votes was to be unearthed.
Imran’s vote count dropped by 117 on the first day of recount in NA-131, he revealed.
PTI spokesman Fawad Chaudhry said that Saad Rafique should accept his defeat as he has been declared loser in the recounting held three times.
Earlier, LHC had ordered recounting of the votes in entire NA-131 constituency on the plea of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Saad Rafique, who said that hurdles are being created in the recounting process despite court verdict.
On July 25, Khan obtained 84,313 votes in a nail-biting contest against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) strong candidate Khawaja Saad Rafique who secured 83,633 votes in NA-131.
Accepting the plea of PML-N leader, recount in the constituency was held however, Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) upheld PTI chief’s victory as votes of Saad soared by just 125 whereas those of Khan augmented by just 50 after the recount.
Later, former railway minister approached LHC who barred ECP from issuing notification of PTI chairman Imran Khan’s success and ordered recount in the entire constituency.
