Representative image showing a gavel.
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Islamabad: A Pakistan high court on Monday suspended the result of three constituencies in the federal capital after the success of the three candidates was challenged.
The three losing candidates including Amir Mughal, Shoaib Shaheen and Mohammad Ali Bukhari, who were backed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, had petitioned in the Islamabad High Court, alleging manipulation of the results.
The IHC after hearing the case suspended poll result notifications issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) from NA-46, NA-47 and NA-48, putting on hold the success of Anjum Aqeel Khan, Tariq Fazal Chaudhry and Raja Khurram Nawaz who had won respectively on the three seats.
Earlier, they challenged the election results before the ECP on February 10 and the commission issued a status quo order. However, the ECP on February 11, also issued the notification that declared Khan, Chaudhry and Nawaz as returned candidates.
Khan and Chaudhry won on the tickets of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) while Nawaz won as an independent candidate who was not backed by PTI and joined the PML-N after his victory.
The general elections were held on February 8 and the results were delayed which caused widespread concerns that the delay was on purpose to change the results.
Interestingly, not only the PTI but several other parties also contested the results and blamed the elections authorities for rigging the outcome of the polls. However, the PTI leaders are taking the lead in protests against the alleged fraud in polls.
PTI founder Imran Khan in a post on X alleged that fake ballot papers were being printed in Lahore at a printing press owned by his rival PML-N leader named Ehsan. 'Even after 10 days of holding the elections, a very organised and coordinated series of rigging continues,” he said.
The PTI leaders also staged a protest in front of the Senate chairman’s chair during the first session of the Upper House of the parliament after elections and chanted slogans of “unacceptable, rigged elections unacceptable”.
“The people’s mandate has been stolen, elections should be discussed in the session today,” PTI leader Ali Zafar said on the occasion.