ECP Reserves Decision On Nawaz Sharif’s Plea On NA-15 Outcome

In Islamabad on Sunday, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) decided to withhold its judgment on a petition submitted by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. In the petition, Sharif sought a restraining order against the final notification of the NA-15 Mansehra-II election outcome. The hearing, overseen by a four-member ECP bench headed by the chief election commissioner, was marked by Sharif’s legal representative arguing that Form 45 had not been issued for 125 polling stations in the NA-15 Mansehra constituency.

The counsel underscored the challenges faced in the Kala Dhakka area of the constituency, pointing out severe backwardness and communication disruptions caused by snowfall. Allegations were raised concerning the exclusion of polling agents by presiding officers, casting doubt on the transparency of the election process. The lawyer contended that ensuring transparent elections was the duty of the election commission and asserted that the NA-15 election lacked transparency.

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Emphasizing that Form 47 could not be issued without Form 45, the legal representative urged the commission to restrain the final notification of the NA-15 result. During the proceedings, an ECP member from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa questioned the transparency of the election, prompting the lawyer to reiterate that transparency was indeed lacking in the NA-15 constituency.

Unofficial results from all polling stations indicated that independent candidate Shahzada Gustasap Khan emerged victorious with 105,249 votes, while Nawaz Sharif secured the second position with 80,382 votes.