The Election Tribunal has rejected the election petition filed by PTI candidate Taimur Saleem Jhagra regarding the PK-79 Peshawar by-election and has upheld the victory of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Jalal Khan.
According to the proceedings on Tuesday, Taimur Jhagra had challenged Jalal Khan’s success, alleging that the PML-N candidate won the election through rigging. Jhagra claimed that he had secured a clear majority under Form 45, but Jalal Khan was declared the winner based on Form 47.
Jhagra further stated that he had approached the Returning Officer with his objections, but his request was rejected, prompting him to file an election petition before the tribunal.
During the hearing, the lawyer representing PML-N argued that the petitioner had ignored several important legal requirements. The counsel pointed out multiple errors in the election petition, including the incorrect mention of the petitioner’s father’s name and stated that mandatory legal formalities were not fulfilled.
The court was informed that under election rules, all factual details must be accurately stated in an election petition. Due to these technical and legal flaws, the petition was deemed not maintainable.
After hearing arguments from both sides, the Election Tribunal dismissed Taimur Jhagra’s petition and officially declared Jalal Khan’s victory as valid. A written verdict in this regard has also been issued by the tribunal.