Supreme Court Rejects People’s Party Plea for Recount in Balochistan PB-14 Constituency

The Supreme Court of Pakistan has dismissed a petition filed by People’s Party candidate Ghulam Rasool seeking a recount in the Balochistan PB-14 constituency. The case, which involved allegations of favoritism by Returning Officers (ROs), was heard by a three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faiz Isa. The Court upheld the victory of Muhammad Khan Lahri from the Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML-N).

Key Points of the Case:

• Petitioner’s Allegations: Advocate Shahid Rasool, representing the People’s Party candidate, argued that the results from 7 polling stations out of 96 were inconsistent with Form 45 and that the Returning Officers were biased.
• Chief Justice’s Remarks: Chief Justice Qazi Faiz Isa questioned the validity of the claims, stating that after ballot boxes are opened, Form 45 or Form 75 becomes irrelevant. The Chief Justice emphasized that the vote is the most important evidence in an election, not the forms filled by presiding officers.
• No Proven Bias: Justice Qazi Faiz Isa challenged the petitioner to provide evidence of bias or any relation between the presiding officers and the PML-N candidate. He stressed that allegations must be proven with facts and not assumptions.
• Court’s Decision: The Court rejected the plea for a recount, maintaining that there was no substantial evidence to prove fraud or favoritism in the election process. The victory of PML-N candidate Muhammad Khan Lahri was upheld.

This ruling concludes the legal challenge in PB-14 and reaffirms Lahri’s win in the contested constituency.