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Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
PML-N's Hina Arshad Warraich wins PP-52 Sialkot by-election
Listen to article Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Hina Arshad Warraich has secured a decisive victory in the PP-52 Sialkot by-election, winning 78,419 votes, Radio Pakistan reported. Her closest rival, Fakhir Nishat Ghumman, was significantly behind with 40,037 votes, according to unofficial results from all 185 polling stations. PTI has decried alleged rigging. Congratulations to Hina Arshad Warraich. I hope she will carry the legacy of her father and that legacy is helping the people of the constituency. Good luck 🍀 #PMLN — Sunny 🏆🇵🇸 (@Its_SuNnYzzZ_77) June 2, 2025 Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif congratulated Warraich on her success, describing the victory as a clear reflection of public trust in the government's policies. Both leaders expressed their gratitude towards the electorate for showing overwhelming support for the ruling party. The by-election, which was closely watched, further strengthens PML-N's position in the Punjab Assembly, with analysts pointing out the magnitude of Warraich's victory as a significant political win for the party. Earlier, she was leading with 78,702 votes in PP-52 Sialkot by-elections, according to unofficial and incomplete results from 165 out of 185 polling stations received in the late hours of Sunday. Hina was fielded as the ruling party's candidate in the by-elections announced after the death of MPA Chaudhry Arshad Warraich, who had won the seat in the Feb 8 general elections on the PML-N's ticket. Hina held a clear lead over candidates from other parties, including the PTI-backed independent candidate Fakhir Nishat Ghumman, who secured 39,018 votes, according to the unofficial tally. Speaking to a private TV channel, Hina said the people did not elect her for politics but for service. "I stand here today because of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz," she stated. Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, who also belongs to Sialkot, visited the residence of Hina Warraich. Addressing party workers, he thanked those who participated in the election campaign across Punjab, adding that based on results from 165 polling stations, Hina is securing a decisive victory. "Sialkot was, is, and will remain a stronghold of the PML-N," he said. PTI's Central Secretary for Information, Sheikh Waqas Akram, during a press conference in Islamabad, however, alleged that the by-election in PP-52 Sambrial witnessed "thuggery under police patronage". "The turnout at our rally in Sambrial was unforgettable. People came out early in the morning to protect the mandate, but the PML-N's goons resorted to violence," he claimed. He alleged that under police protection, PTI supporters were forcibly removed from polling stations and subjected to violence. "PML-N forcibly entered polling stations and cast fake votes," he said. PPP Central Punjab President Raja Pervaiz Ashraf also accused the PML-N of resorting to rigging in a press conference held in Sambrial. "The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) must take notice of the rigging in the PP-52 by-election. Our polling agents and workers were attacked in Roliya, Begowal, Mitranwali, and Babundoki Chamiyan. "Local PML-N leadership should not have resorted to such actions this undermines the credibility of the entire electoral process," he added. Elections should be free and fair. Our people were harassed and forced out of polling stations." PPP General Secretary Syed Hassan Murtaza also claimed that the PML-N cannot contest elections "without siding with the umpires". The 2024 elections, he said, witnessed the worst rigging in history." After the press conference, the ECP issued a statement describing Raja Pervaiz Ashraf's allegations of rigging in PP-52 Sialkot as baseless. It advised PPP leaders to file a formal complaint with solid evidence. "The ECP will address all complaints promptly," it said, adding that the reports about the administration shutting down various polling stations are completely false.
Express Tribune
4 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
PML-N leads in Sialkot by-elections
PML-N's Hina Arshad Warraich was leading with 78,702 votes in PP-52 Sialkot by-elections, according to unofficial and incomplete results from 165 out of 185 polling stations received in the late hours of Sunday. Hina was fielded as the ruling party's candidate in the by-elections announced after the death of MPA Chaudhry Arshad Warraich who had won the seat in the Feb 8 general elections on the PML-N's ticket. Hina held a clear lead over candidates from other parties including the PTI-backed independent candidate Fakhar Nishat Ghumman, who secured 39,018 votes, according to the unofficial tally. Speaking to a private TV channel, Hina said the people did not elect her for politics but for service. "I stand here today because of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz," she stated. Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, who also belongs to Sialkot, visited the residence of Hina Warraich. Addressing party workers, he thanked those who participated in the election campaign across Punjab, adding that based on results from 165 polling stations, Hina is securing a decisive victory. "Sialkot was, is, and will remain a stronghold of the PML-N," he said. PTI's Central Secretary for Information Sheikh Waqas Akram, during a press conference in Islamabad, however, alleged that the by-election in PP-52 Sambrial witnessed "thuggery under police patronage". "The turnout at our rally in Sambrial was unforgettable. People came out early in the morning to protect the mandate, but the PML-N's goons resorted to violence," he claimed. He alleged that under police protection, PTI supporters were forcibly removed from polling stations and subjected to violence. "PML-N forcibly entered polling stations and cast fake votes," he said. PPP Central Punjab President Raja Pervaiz Ashraf also accused the PML-N of resorting to rigging in a press conference held in Sambrial. "The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) must take notice of the rigging in the PP-52 by-election. Our polling agents and workers were attacked in Roliya, Begowal, Mitranwali, and Babundoki Chamiyan. "Local PML-N leadership should not have resorted to such actionsthis undermines the credibility of the entire electoral process," he added. "Elections should be free and fair. Our people were harassed and forced out of polling stations." PPP General Secretary Syed Hassan Murtaza also claimed that the PML-N cannot contest elections "without siding with the umpires". The 2024 elections, he said, witnessed the worst rigging in history." After the press conference, the ECP issued a statement describing Raja Pervaiz Ashraf's allegations of rigging in PP-52 Sialkot as baseless. It advised PPP leaders to file a formal complaint with solid evidence. "The ECP will address all complaints promptly," it said, adding that the reports about the administration shutting down various polling stations are completely false.
Express Tribune
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
SC reviews landmark verdict amid absences, silence and restraint
The highest court in the land on Monday waded into uncharted waters as it began hearing review petitions against its July 12 judgement - a verdict that had handed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) reserved seats in the national and provincial legislatures - but without six of the original judges, including the judgement's author. The hearing broke new ground in more ways than one, marking several firsts in judicial history. The review petitions, filed by the ruling PML-N and PPP alongside the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), are being heard by a 13-member larger bench. Curiously, the majority of the new Supreme Court bench were not part of the original decision, and no explanation has been offered as to why the court's constitutional committee did not recommend including the six judges from the earlier ruling. For the first time since the 26th Constitutional Amendment was passed, the Supreme Court proceedings were broadcast live, a move hailed as a step toward transparency, though the absence of key judges cast a long shadow. Despite the high stakes, not a single judge offered observations in favour of the majority judgement under review. Even Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi - both signatories to the original ruling - remained unusually tight-lipped, adopting a tone of marked restraint. In contrast, two judges who had not been part of the original bench raised a fundamental question: if the PTI was not a party in the initial case, how could it receive relief? They wondered as to how reserved seats were given to PTI when they were not a party, neither before the ECP nor the Peshawar High Court (PHC). Justice Aminuddin Khan observed that it was an admitted fact that all PTI-backed returned candidates had joined the Sunni Ittehad Council, which had not contested the general elections. He pressed further, asking whether any PTI-backed returned candidate had approached any forum to declare himself as a PTI candidate. 'Should the SC shut its eyes?' The elephant in the courtroom, however, remained the role of the ECP during the controversial February 2024 polls, with most judges sidestepping the discussion on it. Though the majority judgment had held the ECP to account, only Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail pointed to the electoral body's failings. Justice Mandokhail - part of the minority who believed PTI was entitled to reserved seats - said that the presiding officers and returning officers failed to perform their duties in accordance with the law and constitution during the February 2024 general election. He challenged the opposing counsel, Makhdoom Ali Khan, by asking: "Should the Supreme Court shut its eyes?" Commenting on the matter, lawyer Abdul Moiz Jaferii flagged what he saw as a glaring lapse in judicial due diligence. "What I found most amazing was how some of the judges who were not part of the original proceedings had clearly not read the judgment under review. You are seated to determine an error floating on the face of the record." "You are extraordinarily doing so without the author judge and many other judges senior to you who were part of the original proceedings. Surely you can read the judgment for yourself and not rely on the arguments of counsel to refresh the most basic principles of the case for you," he added. Observers also noted that the government's side appeared in a rush to tie up loose ends. Counsels for the PML-N, PPP and ECP all fell in line behind the arguments presented by Makhdoom Ali Khan, despite the original verdict's criticism of the ECP's conduct. Insiders suggest that Justice Aminuddin Khan's upcoming Hajj might be behind this urgency. There is speculation that the ruling coalition is keen to see the matter settled before his departure. On the other side of the aisle, PTI and its allied Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) have engaged four senior counsels to defend the majority ruling. SIC's Faisal Siddiqi is slated to present his arguments today (Tuesday). Legal circles believe that the current impasse stems from the ECP's misreading of the Supreme Court's January 13 verdict, which declared PTI's intra-party polls illegal. Besides, the court under former chief justice Qazi Faez Isa also came under fire for dragging its feet on PTI's review petition – a delay that many say left the political field clouded in uncertainty. Even the majority judgment had flagged constitutional tensions at the heart of the matter. The majority verdict had quested how the matter of intra party elections - a matter of internal governance of a party - could trump the fundamental rights of citizens to vote and of political parties to effectively participate in and contest elections by obtaining a common symbol for their candidates, guaranteed under Articles 17(2) and 19 of the Constitution.
Business Recorder
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Unresolved electoral disputes
EDITORIAL: More than 14 months after the general elections, a substantial number of electoral disputes remain unresolved, raising questions about the capacity/impartiality of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). Under the law, the election tribunals are to decide petitions challenging results notified by the ECP within 180 days – 120 days until August 2013 when the period was extended via an amendment. Long past that period, a significant segment of such contentious issues has yet to be settled. A recent report by the Free and Fair Election Network (Fafen) has highlighted some disquieting statistics, deepening concerns about the present state of affairs. As per this report, between February 1 and April 20 of the current year, election tribunals decided just 24 petitions related to the 2024 general elections, bringing the total number of decided matters to 136, which comes to just 36.5 percent of a total of 372 cases awaiting resolution. Of these, 26 percent are about seats in the National Assembly and 42 percent pertain to provincial assemblies. This probably is the biggest amount ever of legal contestations regarding national elections. Yet for some unexplained reason the number of election tribunals this time has been far fewer than for the previous elections. If that is not bad enough, most of the existing ones have remained dysfunctional for one reason or another. Unsurprisingly, the largest group of petitioners, 55 percent of the total, belongs to the main opposition party, the PTI, though they were registered as independent candidates due to a situation created by the ECP. No surprise either that the largest number of returned candidates making the largest group of defendants, with 39 percent of the petitions challenging their victory, are affiliated with the ruling PML-N, followed by PTI-backed candidates (16 percent), PPP and MQM-P (13 percent, each), JUI-F (5 percent) and unaffiliated independents (6 percent). The bulk of the 51 cases filed against the dismissal of election petitions were moved by PTI-backed independent candidates; most of them are now pending in the apex court. These unresolved disputes coupled with denial to the major opposition party its legitimate share of seats in the Senate as well as reserved seats in the national and provincial assemblies cast a dark shadow on institutional legitimacy. The least the principal political players need to do at this point in time is to send home the controversial ECP chief who has already completed his term, and appoint through the constitutionally prescribed consultation route a person having the trust of both the ruling coalition itself and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly. The issues and concerns of intensifying political polarisation need to be addressed in a fair and transparent manner, lending strength to the democratic process and, by the same measure, public confidence in it. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
SC set to revisit PTI reserved seats verdict
Listen to article The Supreme Court has fixed for hearing the review petitions filed against its July 12 ruling that awarded reserved seats to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in a major legal victory for the beleaguered party, setting the stage for a major constitutional re-examination this week. A 13-member larger bench, led by Justice Aminuddin Khan, will hear the case on May 6, according to a cause list issued by the apex court. The expanded bench includes Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Ayesha Malik, Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi, Justice Musarrat Hilali, Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan, Justice Aqeel Abbasi, Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan, Justice Hashim Kakar, Justice Salahuddin Panhwar, Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Ali Baqar Najafi. However, contrary to SC rules, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, who authored the July 12 majority judgment, has not been included in the new bench. Under prevailing judicial norms, a judge who authored or participated in the original decision is typically included in any subsequent review hearing. On July 12, 2024, an eight-member bench had ruled in favour of granting reserved seats to PTI through a majority decision authored by Justice Mansoor Ali Shah. The bench included Justices Munib Akhtar, Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Ayesha Malik, Athar Minallah, Hasan Azhar Rizvi, Shahid Waheed and Irfan Saadat Khan. The original case had been filed by the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), which sought allocation of reserved seats following PTI-backed independents joining its platform. However, the top court ultimately ruled that the reserved seats should be allotted directly to PTI. The ruling has since been challenged through review petitions by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and political parties including the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F). Meanwhile, in Lahore, the Lahore High Court (LHC) heard a separate petition seeking implementation of the SC's reserved seats verdict. Justice Khalid Ishaq presided over the hearing of the plea filed by a citizen, Munir Ahmed. The petitioner's counsel argued that the top court's decision in the PTI reserved seats case had not yet been implemented. The lawyer urged the court to issue directions compelling authorities to act on the ruling and to formally allocate the seats to PTI. "The Supreme Court's verdict is being ignored," the counsel submitted, requesting the court to issue binding instructions to enforce the ruling. The petitioner also requested that the president and prime minister be removed from the list of respondents, suggesting they were not necessary parties in the current implementation plea. Issuing notices to the ECP, the LHC adjourned further proceedings until May 16.
