ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has dismissed appeals and allegations of bias against returning officers in PB-14 constituency. The petition was filed by Ghulam Rasool of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and challenges the victory of Mahmood Khan of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). The case concerned a request to recount votes from seven of the 96 polling stations. The Chairperson asked counsel for the appellant how they came to the conclusion that the results were not correct. The lawyer argued that they violated Form 45 and argued that the officials were biased. In response, the CJP emphasized that the most important evidence in an election is the votes, not the Form 45 filled by the presiding officers, which has no meaning. The court ruled that absent specific evidence of bias or misconduct, the election results must stand. Consequently, the Supreme Court upheld Mahmood Khan’s victory and dismissed the petition. The Supreme Court dismissed the plea for recount and allegations of bias against the returning officers in PB-14. While dismissing a petition filed by Ghulam Rasool of the People’s Party, the court upheld the victory of Mahmood Khan of the Pakistan Muslim League (N). During the meeting, the request to recount votes in 7 out of 96 polling stations was discussed. Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa asked the petitioner’s lawyer how they came to know that the results were rigged. The lawyer responded by saying that the results did not match the Form 45 and that the officials were biased. The president of the court stated in his statement that the most important evidence in the election is the votes themselves and that form 45 is filled out by the president. He advised a lawyer to challenge the recount if there are problems such as ballot box tampering. The defense attorney objected, claiming that the entire fraud was perpetrated by the chairman and that the judge wrongly called him a liar without evidence. Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa noted that decisions are made on the basis of facts and said, “This is not a matrimonial dispute where we are deciding who is telling the truth or who is lying.” He further emphasized that such decisions are protocol and asked the petitioner to prove the bias of the chairmen by asking if they are related. He added that no allegations had been made against the recount itself and said: “Though the Speaker is a sworn enemy, he decides by vote and the importance of the Form 45 is negligible compared to the votes.” Subsequently, the Supreme Court dismissed the petition for recount in PB-14 and the allegation of bias against the returning police officers.
