PTI leader Usman Dar gets a blow from LHC

LAHORE – Lahore High Court (LHC) has rejected Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Usman Dar’s plea demanding vote recount in NA-73.

While announcing the decision, the court upheld Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Asif’s victory in the constituency.

Earlier, LHC had restrained the ECP from issuing victory notification of former foreign minister Khawaja Asif in NA-73 Sialkot constituency.

Dar, in his petition submitted through Advocate Anees Hashmi and Advocate Tajamul Gondal, had challenged the victory of Asif pleading that the returning officer did not provide Form-45 to the polling agents.

The PTI leader maintained that as many as 7,346 votes were dismissed in his constituency and he lost to the PML-N leader by a margin of 1,406 votes.

It is to be mentioned here that on July 25, Khawaja Asif obtained 116957 votes against PTI’s Usman Dar who secured 115464 votes in the constituency.

On the other hand, Supreme Court (SC) suspended vote recount order of LHC in an important constituency NA-131 over the appeal of PTI chief Imran Khan. Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar said that there is no need of any recounting in the constituency.