Justice Shahid Karim of the Lahore High Court has suspended the notification of victory of PML-N leader Azhar Qayyum from Constituency NA-81 Gujranwala.
This decision came during the hearing on a petition filed by Bilal Ijaz Chaudhry of the Sunni Ittehad Council, raising concerns over the election results.
The application maintained that Bilal Ijaz Chaudhary had contested the February 8 election against Qayyum and was initially declared successful by a margin of 8,000 votes. However, following a request for a recount of votes, the Election Commission of Pakistan declared the recount in favour of the opposition candidate, Azhar Qayyum.
The plea further said that the returning officer had reduced petitioner Chaudhry's votes by 2,500 during the recounting process, and sought cancellation of the PML-N leader's victory notification.
In response to the petition, Justice Shahid Karim decided to suspend the notification of Azhar Qayyum's victory, pending further investigation into the matter. The court's decision reflects the importance of ensuring fairness and transparency in the electoral process, upholding the principles of democracy and justice.
