ECP issues Imran’s victory notification from NA-53

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has issued a notification declaring Imran Khan as triumphant from the Islamabad constituency NA-53.

Khan had emerged victorious from NA-53 bagging 92,891 votes against ex-prime minister and PML-N leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi who could only bag 44,314 votes.

The ECP published the name of Mr. Khan as candidate returned to the National Assembly as a result of General Election, 2018 from the aforementioned constituency.

According to ECP, the notification has been issued in pursuance of sub-section (1) of Section 98 of the Elections Act, 2017. The victory declaration was withheld as a case pertaining to violation to ECP’s code of conduct was being heard against him. The ECP yesterday cleared him in the ballot secrecy violation case and subsequently notified him as winner.

On August 9, the ECP had issued the victory notification of Imran Khan’s NA 131-Lahore constituency that was earlier withheld due to pending dispute in the court.

According to the ECP, the notification was issued in the light of Supreme Court orders.

The Lahore High Court on Aug 4 had ordered the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to withhold Imran Khan’s victory notification from Lahore’s NA-131 constituency.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Saad Rafique, who lost election to the PTI chief with a small margin, had approached the court arguing that ECP only counted rejected votes over his recount plea.