ECP withholds Imran’s victory notifications from two constituencies

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – The Election Commission of Pakistan has withheld the notification of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairperson Imran Khan's success in two constituencies. The notification in the remaining three constituencies has been made conditional upon the ECP findings in the misconduct case against him. The ECP officials said the notification had been withheld in NA-53 (Islamabad) and NA-131 (Lahore). The notification from NA-53 has been withheld pending a hearing for a code of conduct breach. The notification for NA-131 (Lahore) success has been withheld following a Lahore High Court direction for a recount. Notifications in respect of NA-35 (Bannu), NA-243 (Karachi) and NA-95 (Mianwali) have been issued subject to the final decision of the Election Commission in the pending code of conduct case. The ECP officials said the conditional notification does not stop Imran Khan from being elected to the office of prime minister or from taking oath. On July 25, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had issued a notice to PTI chairman Imran Khan for violating the secrecy of ballot. The commission also summoned Imran Khan to appear before it in person or through his counsel to explain his position. Imran Khan, flanked by his friends and supporters, including Zulfi Bokhari, had openly cast his vote in the NA-53 constituency where he was contesting the election against former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan Peoples Party’s Syed Sibtul Haider, brother of former Senate chairman Syed Nayyar Bokahri. Instead of going behind the voting screen to cast his vote in private, the PTI chief preferred to publicly stamp the ballot paper placing it on the table of the election officer, with TV cameras filming him. Surprisingly, the presiding officer and other polling staff did not object to the violation. Under Section 185 (a) of the Elections Act 2017, an election official or a candidate, election agent or polling agent or a voter attending a polling station or any person attending at the counting of votes is guilty of an offence punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees or with both, if he fails to maintain secrecy or aids in violating the secrecy of voting.