Daily Times

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday ordered all petitioners to take their complaints against election results to the election commission.

The candidates of 40 constituencies had filed petitions in high court against election results.

The court also directed the election commission to decide all petitions by February 22. The election commission should also review the record of petitioners, the bench said.

The court dismissed petitions with direction to the election commission. The Additional Attorney General and lawyers of the election commission and petitioners appeared in the case hearing. Earlier, Barrister Farrogh Naseem told the court that the Lahore High Court has rejected all these petitions. Haleem Adil Shaikh’s counsel told the court that the success notification of the MQM candidate from NA-238 has been issued. “How could the notification be issued in night when all petitions have been under hearing of the court,” Chief Justice Aqeel Abbasi questioned.

The ECP lawyer said that the result of a constituency was prepared, so its notification was issued. ECP counsel said that the election commission has constituted two benches for hearing of petitions and proceedings being conducted over pleas coming to the electoral body. Chief Justice said that the election commission has been bound to act over petitions according to the law. “The candidates should take their matter to the commission”.

It is to be mentioned here that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supported runner-up candidates had filed petitions against election results in Karachi. Petitioners said that according to Form 45, they have bagged more votes than the candidates’ declared as winners in election. PTI-supported candidates Aftab Jahangir, Tariq Hussain, Rabistan Khan, Ataullah, Salehzada, Khurram Sherzaman, Ramzan Ghanchi, Murad Shaikh, Dawa Khan Sabir, Ghulam Qadir, Faheem Khan, Syed Faisal Ali, Shakeel Ahmed, Bashir Sodhar, Abdul Qadeer, M. Yasir and Shafeeq Shah have challenged the election results.