LAHORE: The Lahore High Court’s Election Tribunal (ET) has ordered the Election Commission of Pakistan to present the record of Form-45 related to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. This order follows challenges to her victory in the general elections.
Justice Anwar Hussain of the ET presided over the hearing of an appeal filed by Mehar Shafqat, who ran against Maryam Nawaz in PP-159, Lahore. Shafqat claimed that the notification of Maryam Nawaz’s victory was not accurate and should be invalidated.
Maryam Nawaz’s legal team argued that the appeal based on Form-45 was not admissible. Justice Anwar Hussain asked about the number of polling stations in PP-159, to which the ECP counsel replied that there were 102 registered polling stations according to the polling scheme.
Emphasizing the legal requirement for urgent handling of election appeals, Justice Anwar Hussain stressed the need for expeditious proceedings. The tribunal also questioned why Form-45, which includes the signatures of the presiding officer and other candidates, had not been uploaded on the ECP’s website.
The Election Commission’s lawyer requested time to present the original Form-45 records, which the tribunal granted. The case has been adjourned until the final week of July, pending the submission of the requested documents.
