LAHORE – The Lahore High Court (LHC) has stopped the Election Commission ofPakistan (ECP) from issuing the victory notification of former foreignminister Khawaja Asif.
He had emerged winner in NA-73 Sialkot constituency in General Elections2018.
LHC Justice Mamoonur Rasheed announced the decision on a petition filed byPakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Usman Dar and issued notices to theelectoral commission and Khawaja Asif.
Dar, in his petition submitted through Advocate Anees Hashmi and AdvocateTajamul Gondal, had challenged the victory of Asif pleading that thereturning officer did not provide Form-45 to the polling agents.
The PTI leader maintained that as many as 7,346 votes were dismissed in hisconstituency and he lost to the PML-N leader by a margin of 1,406 votes.
The petitioner’s counsels asked the court to stay the notification ofKhawaja Asif and order the returning officer to hold recounting of completeballot papers.Justice Mamoonur Rasheed restrained the ECP from issuing the notificationand issued notices to all respondents.