Lahore HC sets aside victory notifications of two Nawaz Sharif's party leaders

ISLAMABAD: The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Tuesday lost two of its National Assembly seats after separate benches of the Lahore High Court (LHC) set aside the victory notifications of its lawmakers elected from Gujranwala and Lodhran, Dawn reported on Wednesday.

Hearing the matter, LHC Justice Shahid Karim passed an order against NA-81 (Gujranwala) Member of National Assembly (MNA) Azhar Qayum Nahra, allowing a petition by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed independent candidate Chaudhry Bilal Ijaz.

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, Nahra, after which he was declared victorious with a margin of 3,100 votes, Dawn reported.

At least 10,000 votes of the petitioner were declared cancelled in the recount, the counsel said.

He argued that the commission violated the law by allowing a recount after the formation of the election tribunals to hear challenges to election disputes and asked the court to strike down the ECP's impugned recount order for being unlawful.

Justice Karim observed that in ordering the recount, the ECP had ignored the Supreme Court's ruling. The judge also asked the ECP lawyer if ignoring the Supreme Court's decision constituted contempt of court.

The judge maintained that the commission could not entertain complaints against election disputes after tribunals had started working, and allowed the petition, setting aside the notification of the respondent's victory.

In another blow to the party, the victory notification of another PML-N member of the national assembly was suspended on a petition filed by his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) backed opponent, Dawn reported.

Justice Shahid Karim issued the stay order on a petition filed by PTI-backed independent candidate Mohammad Atif, who pleaded that he was initially declared the returned candidate with a margin of over 3,500 votes, Dawn reported. However, he said, the ECP held a recount on an application of the respondent and declared him victorious by 2,500 votes. He asked the court to set aside the recounting order of the ECP and the impugned notification of the respondent's victory for being unlawful.

The judge suspended the notification and sought a reply from the ECP and other respondents.

Meanwhile, incarcerated PTI leader Yasmin Rashid has challenged former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's victory from Lahore's NA-130 constituency before a Lahore High Court (LHC) election tribunal, Dawn reported.

Moreover, 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.

Dawn reported citing the PTI candidate's lawyer Makhdoom Kalimullah Hashmi, the LHC bench, deciding an intra-court appeal (ICA), declared null and void the notification issued by the ECP, regarding Kanjoo's victory in the Feb 8 general elections.

Kanjoo, a former minister, has also taken oath as an MNA in the National Assembly session.

In both cases, the petitioners -- who were runners up in the polls -- are likely to be notified as the returned candidates following the success of their pleas.