ISLAMABAD: The
courts
in
Pakistan
are facing a flood of
petitions
as candidates challenge the results of the recent general elections. Many of these candidates, supported by former prime minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, have alleged rigging in the election. The Lahore High Court (LHC) has received the majority of these petitions, while the Islamabad High Court (IHC) and the Sindh High Court (SHC) have also received a few.
The Election Commission has not yet announced the full results of the polls.
The PTI-backed independent candidates have emerged as the winners in the National Assembly (NA) with 102 seats, followed by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) with 74 seats, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) with 54 seats, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) with 17 seats, and other smaller parties winning 12 seats. The Election Commission has announced the results for 259 out of 265 seats. The result for NA-88 has been withheld due to complaints of fraud, and it will be announced after addressing the grievances.
The petitions filed in the Lahore High Court challenge the victories of PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz, and Aleem Khan, the President of Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP). Various high-profile politicians, including former Punjab chief minister Parvez Elahi and his wife Qaisera, former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) finance minister Taimoor Jhagra, ex-KP speaker Mahmood Jan, former Punjab health minister Dr. Yasmin Rashid, and Rehana Dar, the mother of Usman Dar, have also filed petitions.
The petitioners argue that their opponents were declared winners based on Form 45, which is the primary source of election results at the lowest level. However, they claim that their victories were turned into defeats in Form 47, which summarizes the results from each polling station. The candidates allege collusion in the alteration of election results and demand that Form 47 be prepared according to Form 45s.
Political analyst Amir Zia stated that in 80 percent of the seats, the election results were as expected, but disputes arose in 20 percent of the seats. The focus of the debate is on the seats won by the PML-N, with questions being raised about several of their candidates who were initially losing but were declared winners overnight. The formation of the government in Pakistan remains uncertain, with predictions of a minority government and extensive negotiations.
In addition, a petition has been filed in the Supreme Court of Pakistan to require independent candidates who have been elected to join a political party within three days of the official notification of their victory. PTI candidates had contested as independents due to restrictions on using the party symbol, a cricket bat. The petitioner argues that independent members in the national or provincial assemblies should be considered unfair, illegal, unconstitutional, and against the parliamentary form of governance. The petitioner cites Article 51 of the Constitution, which outlines the procedure for determining the number of National Assembly seats and the functioning of the house.
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