ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has made public its reserved decision, dismissing Nawaz Sharif’s application challenging the verdict of NA-15. The ECP’s verdict suggests that the petitioner has the option to approach the Election Tribunal for further legal action. In response to the decision, the ECP has instructed the Returning Officer (RO) to conclude the results within a timeframe of three days.
The decision, composed by Nisar Durrani, a member of the Election Commission of Pakistan from Sindh, has triggered strong sentiments from Nawaz Sharif’s legal representative, who categorizes the election as “unconstitutional, illegal, and against election rules.”
In the contested NA-15, PTI-backed independent candidate Shahzada Gustasap Khan secured victory with 105,249 votes, while Nawaz Sharif finished as the runner-up with 80,382 votes.
This electoral dispute is particularly significant as the province contributes 45 seats to the National Assembly, with 10 seats reserved for women. The battleground province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa boasts a registered voter count of 21,928,119, including 11,944,397 male voters and 9,983,722 female voters.
In the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, PTI emerged victorious in a majority of the 115 general seats, with 26 seats reserved for women and an additional four earmarked for non-Muslims.
