Petitioners in Peshawar challenge election results in 8 constituencies

The battle over alleged election result manipulations in Peshawar reached the Peshawar High Court (PHC), with eight petitioners challenging outcomes in their respective constituencies.

During the proceedings, a bench consisting of Justice Shakeel Ahmed and Justice Arshad Ali presided over the hearing. Advocates representing the petitioners contended that while Form 45 results favored them, discrepancies were evident in Form 47, suggesting potential manipulation.

Lawyers representing the petitioners, including prominent political figures like Taimur Jhagra and Mahmood Jan, argued that results initially declared in Form 45 (polling station results) were altered in the final Form 47 (constituency-level declaration). They accused the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) of manipulating the final results.

However, the ECP’s legal counsel objected to the admissibility of the application, citing constitutional provisions under Article 225 and Section 9 of the Election Act. Justice Arshad Ali remarked that their jurisdiction in such cases is limited, and directly ordering the electoral watchdog to recount votes falls outside their purview.

Consequently, the hearing was adjourned pending responses from the Election Commission till February 15. Notable petitioners include Taimur Jhagra, Kamran Bangash, Mahmood Jan, Arbab Jehandad, Muhammad Asim, Ali Zaman, Shahab, and Sajid Nawaz.