ECP updates, modifies Form 45s amidst election tribunal disputes

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has recently updated the results for 41 constituencies in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, modifying the Form 45s stored on its Google Drive, DAWN News reported on Monday.

The nature of the changes to these documents is unclear, prompting concerns about electoral transparency amid ongoing disputes before election tribunals, the news report added.

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Form 45, a critical election record signed by the presiding officer at each polling station, details key polling station information and ballot counts. Form 47 is the provisional consolidated result prepared by the returning officer.

These updates follow a report by NGO Pattan-Coalition 38, which noted the absence of forms for several constituencies on the ECP website. The ECP dismissed the report as baseless, though independent scrutiny by Dawn contradicted the ECP’s claim.

On July 3, the ECP’s Google Drive showed missing Form 45s for 14 provincial assembly constituencies in Lahore, replaced by Form 46s. By July 4 and 5, the ECP had uploaded the missing forms for NA-125 and 14 other constituencies, including those for Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s constituency PP-159, and seats linked to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Aleem Khan of the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP).

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Additionally, the ECP modified data for 26 other constituencies in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the news report said. This included 10 constituencies in Punjab where Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidates lost to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed candidates, such as NA-104 won by Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) chief Sahibzada Hamid Raza.

In Lahore, NA-118 and NA-121 data were updated, where Hamza Shehbaz defeated PTI’s Aliya Hamza Malik, and PML-N’s Rohail Asghar lost to independent Wasim Qadir. Other affected constituencies were from Okara, Layyah, and Taunsa.

For Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, data of eight national and provincial constituencies was updated, including NA-35 won by PTI’s Sheryar Afridi from Kohat.

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When questioned, an ECP official attributed the uploading of Form 46s instead of Form 45s to an honest mistake, denying any malicious intent. The official noted that changing Form 45s was impossible at this stage as candidates and tribunals already possessed copies.