Kohat NA-35: PHC moved against delay in deciding election petition

PESHAWAR: A candidate for the National Assembly constituency NA-35 Kohat in the 2024 general election has approached the Peshawar High Court (PHC) against the delay in deciding his election petition by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Election Tribunal.

In a writ petition filed through Barrister Babar Shehzad Imran, Abbas Afridi has requested the court to direct the Election Tribunal to decide his petition within the 180 days stipulated under Section 148(5) of the Elections Act, 2017.

The petition named the President of Pakistan, the KP Election Tribunal, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), and the KP advocate general as respondents.According to the petitioner, polling on February 8, 2024, was marred by violence and unrest in NA-35, resulting in damage to several polling stations, some of which were even set on fire.

Consequently, polling had to be halted at 25 stations. Afridi claimed that he approached the ECP about this matter, but no action was taken.He said that he subsequently filed a petition with the Election Tribunal. The first hearing was held on April 29, 2024, but the next hearing was scheduled more than a year later, on May 5, 2025. Afridi noted that only six hearings had been held over 13 months, which he argued was a violation of the Elections Act that emphasized the timely resolution of such petitions.

He contended that the delay infringed on his fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution and undermined the democratic process.The petition stated that such prolonged proceedings could have far-reaching consequences and undermine public confidence in democratic institutions.