ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) has dismissed the plea of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Ali Gohar Baloch for a recount of votes in constituency NA-97. Baloch had challenged the annulment of a recount in NA-97, but the court rejected his plea, citing procedural issues.
Baloch’s lawyer failed to present the application to the returning officer in a timely manner, and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) confirmed that the application was not received on time. “There is no such application on record,” noted the ECP’s Director General of Law.
Earlier on August 12, the Supreme Court has reinstated the ECP’s decision to recount votes in three other National Assembly constituencies.
A three-member bench, led by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa and including Justices Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi, ruled in favor of a recount for constituencies NA-154, NA-81, and NA-79.
The ruling came after PML-N candidate Azhar Qayum Nahra challenged the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) decision to suspend his victory notification from NA-81. The Supreme Court overturned the LHC’s previous ruling and restored the ECP’s directive for a recount, approving the appeals of PML-N candidates with a 2-1 majority. Justice Aqeel Abbasi dissented from the majority decision.
As a result, PML-N members Azhar Qayum Nahra, Abdul Rehman Kanju, and Zulfiqar Ahmed have been reinstated as National Assembly members. The recount requests for NA-154 (Lodhran), NA-81 (Gujranwala), and NA-79 (Gujranwala) had led to this decision.
Initially, independent candidates affiliated with PTI were declared winners, but PML-N candidates’ requests for recounts resulted in their victories being reinstated by the ECP. The LHC had previously annulled the ECP’s decision, prompting the PML-N to appeal to the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court’s decision marks a significant development in the ongoing electoral disputes, reaffirming the ECP’s role in the recount process for the contested constituencies.
