Election tribunal dismisses PTI-backed candidate's plea challenging victory of PML-N’s Faisal Akram from PP-46

LAHORE - An election tribunal has ruled that a petition filed by PTI-backed independent candidate Ruba Umar Dar seeking to overturn the victory of PML-N's Faisal Akram from PP-46, Sialkot, is invalid. The one-member tribunal, led by retired Justice Mehmood Maqbool Bajwa, dismissed the case without examining the allegations of electoral misconduct.

Dar had contested the February 8, 2024 election result, claiming that the returning officer conspired to manipulate Form-45, which contradicted her polling agents' records. She demanded the annulment of Akram's election and fresh polls in 89 polling stations. However, the tribunal found that the petition's verification, along with supporting affidavits under Section 144 of the Elections Act, 2017, contained numerous deficiencies.

The panel dismissed these technicalities, emphasizing that Sections 142, 143, and 144 are non-negotiable provisions. They also highlighted that the penal provisions under Section 145(1) are aimed at deterring baseless and unsubstantiated claims. The tribunal concluded that the petitioner had not adhered to Section 144(2)(a)(c) and 144(4) of the Act, leading to the dismissal of the election petition.