ECP restrains NA-15 election result on Nawaz Sharif's plea

ISLAMABAD: The election commission on Sunday restrained issuance of final notification of victory of Shahzada Gustasap in NA-15 Mansehra-II election over a plea of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

Earlier, the election commission had reserved decision over Nawaz Sharif’s plea, seeking restraining order over issuance of final notification of the NA-15 election result.

A four-member bench of the ECP headed by the chief election commissioner heard the case.

The counsel of Nawaz Sharif said that Farm 45 of 125 polling stations of the NA-15, Mansehra constituency were not issued.

Kala Dhakka area of the constituency has been very backward and means of communications have been disturbed due to snowfall in the area, Sharif’s counsel said.

The counsel alleged that presiding officers had pushed out polling agents “It is the election commission’s responsibility to ensure transparent election,” lawyer argued. “The elections were not transparent in NA-15,” Nawaz Sharif’s counsel claimed.

“The Farm 47 could not be issued without Farm 45,” he said. He pleaded for restraining final issuance of final notification of NA-15 result.

“Are you saying the election was not transparent,” ECP’s KPK member questioned. “The election in this constituency was not transparent,” lawyer said.

According to unofficial results from all polling stations in the constituency, independent candidate Shahzada Gustasap Khan won the seat with 105,249 votes. Nawaz Sharif remained second with 80,382 votes.