SC dismisses petition for vote recount; rejects allegations of bias

ISLAMABAD: The three-member bench of the Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan rejected a petition by Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) member Ghulam Rasool seeking a recount in the PB-14 constituency.

The apex court bench including Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Justice Shahid Bilal, upheld the victory of Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz’s (PML-N) Mehmood Khan, marking the conclusion of a heated legal battle.

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Rasool had called for a recount at seven out of the 96 polling stations, alleging discrepancies in the results. However, Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Justice Naeem firmly dismissed the allegations, citing lack of evidence.

During the proceedings, CJ Isa questioned the petitioner’s claim of a fabricated result, stating, “How did you know that a wrong result was prepared?” Rasool’s legal team argued that Form 45, which records the results at each polling station, did not align with the official outcome, suggesting bias by the polling officers. However, the court noted that Form 45 or 47 loses its validity once the ballot box is opened.

Justice Naeem, presenting the original record provided by the presiding officer, criticised the petitioner for relying on copies of documents. He pointed out inconsistencies in witness statements, noting that even the name of the presiding officer was incorrectly stated. “Your witnesses could not even prove themselves as polling agents,” he remarked.

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The chief justice underscored that the court’s decision would be based on facts, not allegations. “The record does not prove your allegations,” Justice Shahid noted, calling the case “simple” and grounded in clear evidence.

“The presiding officers committed fraud,” argued the petitioner’s counsel, but this claim was met with firm rebuttal from Chief Justice Isa, who urged the lawyer to focus on presenting facts rather than accusations.