The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday issued notices to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and others in response to a petition filed by National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, challenging the ECP orders for the inspection of the counterfoil of ballot papers, marked copies of electoral rolls and other electoral documents of NA-122.
LHC Chief Justice (CJ) Umar Ata Bandial was hearing the matter.
Earlier, the petitioner’s counsel told the court that the petitioner had been declared returned candidate from NA-122 in the May 11 elections.
The counsel said the unsuccessful candidate, Khan had moved an application with the ECP for the inspection of ballot papers and election documents of the constituency, adding that his counsel conceded to the exception of ballot papers.
He said the ECP had accepted Khan’s application and directed him to file another application for examination of the documents before the returning officer.
The counsel said Khan had moved the application before NA-122 returning officer according to the ECP order and had also sought copies of the documents, adding that it was illegal as according to the Peoples’ Representation Act 1976, the returning officer had to send all election records to the ECP after the election and the ECP could only get the record examined.
Sadiq’s counsel requested the court to declare the ECP orders illegal and also stay the returning officer’s pending proceedings regarding the inspection of the documents.
The LHC CJ refused to stay the pending proceedings and issued notices to the respondents, seeking a reply by September 3.
