ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday notified the names of returned candidates of the National Assembly and four provincial assemblies while withheld the notification of NA-53 and NA-131 of Prime Minister-in-waiting and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan’s win.
The decision of the ECP to withhold the notification about Imran’s victory in NA-53, was on account of a pending case at the ECP on the alleged breach of secrecy of ballot by him while casting his vote in this constituency. Similarly, the notification regarding his win in NA-131 was withheld, as his rival Khawaja Saad Rafique had approached the court for recounting.
Likewise, the notification with regards to NA-35, Bannu, NA-95, Mianwali and NA-243, Karachi, according to the ECP, shall be subject to its final decision in the pending cases of violation of the code of conduct.
Similarly, the ECP has conditionally notified former National Assembly speaker Sardar Ayaz Saddiq and former Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Pervez Khattak winners. They are also facing charges of violation of code of conduct.
Following the issuance of the notification on the returned candidates and uploading the details on its website, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Information Secretary Fawad Chaudhry, in a video message, said that there was a need to take the transfer of power seriously after the general election, as the delay in this process could directly affect Pakistan and masses. “There are possibilities of further complications in economy and other policies and all these can directly impact Pakistan with intensity. That is why, once again the chief justice of Pakistan is requested to take notice of this situation, caused by the ECP and courts,” he said. He had issued a similar statement a day earlier as well.
Hence, in all, six notifications in NA constituencies were held on the Lahore High Court orders and one on the order of Sindh High Court, whereas one notification pertaining to NA-271, Kech was withheld, as the returned candidate failed to submit mandatory details of election expenses to the ECP by August 04.
Meanwhile, the Lahore High Court also sent notices to the parties concerned for recounting in a petition with regards to NA-126, Lahore, from where Hammad Azhar had returned.
On the provincial legislatures’ front, the ECP issued notification about 290 the returned candidates of the Punjab Assembly: notifications on four constituencies were withheld on the court orders; while the returned candidate from PP-296 died. Polls were postponed due to deaths of candidates in PP-89 and PP-103. Out of total 297 constituencies, elections were held in 295 constituencies.
Notification for 123 returned candidates was issued while the same was withheld for six returned candidates due to cases pending in the courts and election in PS-87 was postponed owing to death of a candidate.
Out of total 99 constituencies of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, notification was issued for 91 returned candidates while notification was withheld in PK-04 due to recounting while notification was withheld by the ECP in PK-23 and the notification was stayed in PK-38 by Peshawar High Court, whereas in PK-61 and PK-64, the notification will be subject to the final decision of the ECP in the alleged violation of the code of conduct. Election was postponed in PK-78 and PK-99 owing to death of candidates.
The ECP withheld notification about the returned candidates in PB-26,36 and 41: No reason was mentioned why the notification was withheld in PB-26 and PB-41 while the notification in PB-36 was withheld, as the returned candidate failed to submit election expenses details to the ECP. In PB-35, polls were postponed due to death of the candidate.