ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday deferred a verdict on Rehana Dar’s plea to suspend the results of NA-71 Sialkot constituency until February 22, following initial investigation into alleged voting irregularities.
Rehana Dar, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-backed candidate in the NA-71 election contested the elections against PML-N leader Khawaja Asif. She raised concerns over discrepancies in the official vote tally. She contends that while Form 45, utilized at polling stations, indicated her leading with a margin of 50,000 votes, the final outcome declared by the Returning Officer (RO) on Form 47 showed her trailed by 47,000 votes.
The Election Commission, in response to Dar’s appeal, had previously solicited a report from the RO to probe the inconsistencies. Despite initial deliberations on February 14, the Commission opted to extend the hearing for an additional week.
The scheduled resumption of the hearing on February 22, implies that the ECP will evaluate the findings of the RO’s report alongside arguments presented by both parties before reaching a final determination. Until then, the official outcome of the NA-71 Sialkot constituency remains in abeyance.
