By Staff Reporter
LAHORE: An election tribunal in the eastern city of Lahore on Tuesday dismissed a legal challenge by Yasmin Rashid, a jailed opposition leader from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, against the victory of Nawaz Sharif, the former prime minister and head of the rival Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, in a closely watched constituency from last year’s general elections.
The ruling, delivered on technical grounds, leaves intact Sharif’s win in the NA-130 district, a seat in Lahore that became emblematic of broader disputes over the integrity of the February 2024 vote. The decision by the tribunal, presided over by retired Justice Rana Zahid Mahmood, cited Rashid’s failure to meet procedural requirements under the Election Act of 2017, according to court documents and statements from the proceedings.
A full written order was not immediately available, but lawyers familiar with the case said the dismissal focused on filing deficiencies rather than the substance of Rashid’s allegations of electoral manipulation. Rashid, a physician who served as Punjab’s health minister during the administration of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, had filed the petition in April 2024, two months after the Election Commission of Pakistan issued an official notification on Feb. 13 declaring Sharif the winner.
In her filing, submitted through attorneys Ahmed Awais and Rana Mudassar, she contended that the commission had violated legal protocols in certifying the results and manipulated tallies to favor Sharif, a three-time former prime minister whose return to politics last year capped a tumultuous period of exile and legal battles. Official results from the Election Commission showed Sharif securing 179,312 votes, or about 56.8 percent of the total, compared with 104,491 votes for Rashid, who ran as an independent after her party’s candidates were barred from using its electoral symbol amid a court order. Voter turnout in the constituency was 52.45 percent, with more than 31,000 ballots going to other candidates.
Rashid sought to have Sharif’s victory nullified and herself declared the rightful winner, arguing that discrepancies between polling-station records and consolidated counts pointed to foul play. The case unfolded against the backdrop of widespread accusations of irregularities in the 2024 elections, which saw Sharif’s party form a coalition government despite Khan’s PTI-backed independents winning the most seats overall. PTI officials have repeatedly claimed that their “mandate was stolen” through alterations in Form 47, the document compiled by returning officers that aggregates provisional results from across a constituency, excluding postal ballots.
In contrast, Form 45, signed by presiding officers at individual polling stations with thumb impressions and provided to party agents, records station-level vote counts and is seen by critics as a more reliable snapshot. Party leaders, citing their analysis of Form 45 data, have asserted that PTI-aligned candidates actually secured around 180 National Assembly seats, far more than the official tally.
Rashid’s challenge was based on those grievances, with her team pointing to alleged inconsistencies between the two forms in NA-130, where she had reportedly led in early counts before the final declaration. The tribunal heard arguments from both sides before ruling in favor of the commission’s notification, effectively validating Sharif’s seat.
Representatives for MrSharif did not immediately comment on the decision, but PML-N supporters have dismissed PTI’s claims as baseless attempts to undermine the electoral process. PTI, meanwhile, has framed such tribunal outcomes as evidence of institutional bias, with some observers noting that the dismissal on procedural terms avoided a deeper examination of the rigging allegations. This ruling is one of dozens of pending election disputes in Pakistan, where delays in tribunal proceedings have drawn criticism from watchdogs like the Free and Fair Election Network.
Rashid remains incarcerated, having been detained since May 2023 in connection with unrest following Khan’s arrest, charges she and her party deny. The outcome reinforces Sharif’s political resurgence. After years abroad evading corruption convictions that were later overturned, he returned in October 2023 and led his party to a strong showing in Punjab, its traditional stronghold. But it also underscores the lingering divisions in Pakistan’s democracy, where allegations of military interference and judicial favoritism continue to shadow major polls.
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