Setback for Saad Rafique as SC stays vote recount in NA-131

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday suspended a ruling of the Lahore High Court (LHC) that ordered recounting of all ballot papers in a National Assembly constituency in Lahore, NA-131, where PTI chief Imran Khan defeated PML-N stalwart Khawaja Saad Rafique in the recently held parliamentary elections. 

A bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar, gave this interim order on an appeal filed by Khan, who is poised to become the next prime minister of the country, challenging the LHC ruling which allowed his rival’s plea for a recount of all ballots.

The chief justice observed he will not leave any constituency without representation in parliament (owing to the withholding of winning candidates’ notification by ECP). Recounting won’t be allowed as a matter of routine, he said.

“Once poll result is finalised. It’s final,” observed Justice Ejazul Ahsan, who was part of the Supreme Court bench.

On Saturday, the LHC while hearing a petition filed by the PML-N leader directed the returning officer to hold a recount of ballot papers.

Justice Mamoonur Rashid of the LHC also directed the ECP to withhold the notification of Khan’s win from the constituency until the recount is completed.

The former railways minister had lost the election to the PTI chief in NA-131 constituency (Lahore-VII) with a margin of mere 680 votes as the former received 83,633 votes against the latter’s 84,313, according to the Form-47 posted on the ECP website.

Earlier, the returning officer had declared Imran Khan elected after a recount of the 2,835 rejected votes from the constituency which was held at the PML-N leader’s request.

Afterwards, Rafique once again approached the returning officer seeking the fresh recounting of all votes, but his request was rejected.

He then went to the Lahore High Court, pleading with it to order recounting of all ballot papers.