ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has urged Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar to take notice of a possible delay in the announcement of the official results of more than 20 constituencies, fearing that the move can create a constitutional crisis.

Talking to Dawn, PTI information secretary Fawad Chaudhry said the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and various courts had ordered withholding of 20 results of the July 25 elections due to various reasons whereas he had come to know that six more petitions challenging the victories of the candidates had been filed in courts on Monday.

Mr Chaudhry said withholding of the results of such a large number of constituencies of the National Assembly and the provincial assemblies on “legal and administrative grounds” was “inappropriate”.

The PTI information secretary was of the opinion that the ECP and courts had already ordered recount in some 48 constituencies. The situation could cause a delay “in the formation of the government”, he said.

Mr Chaudhry said the Supreme Court had mentioned the reasons for which recounting of votes could take place.

Recount in some 48 constituencies may delay formation of government

“We request the CJP to take notice of this inappropriate delay,” he added.

The PTI leader, who has won both the National Assembly and the Punjab Assembly seats from Jhelum, said under the Constitution, sessions of the assemblies were required to be called 21 days after the general elections.

Article 91(2) of the Constitution states: “The National Assembly shall meet on the twenty-first day following the day on which a general election to the Assembly is held, unless sooner summoned by the President.”

He said under Article 91(2) of the Constitution, the first sessions of the National and provincial assemblies must be summoned by August 15. He said there could be a serious constitutional crisis if a sizeable number of legislators were not able to take the oath and participate in the elections of the speakers, deputy speakers, prime minister and the provincial chief ministers.

Responding to a question, he said according to unofficial results, PTI candidates had won in more than 10 constituencies whose results had been withheld. He admitted that his party’s candidates had also challenged the victories of their rivals in many constituencies where the results were expected to be withheld. He was of the opinion that the cases should be expedited so that the members could participate in the elections of the key parliamentary offices.

Although the PTI has emerged as the single largest party in the National Assembly, it has been struggling to achieve the required number of members in the house to form its government at the Centre. Similarly, in Punjab, the PML-N has become the single largest party, but there is a small difference of just seven seats between the two parties which are presently busy in wooing the independents in an effort to form the government in the province.

Sources told Dawn that there were eight National Assembly constituencies among 20 constituencies whose results were expected to be withheld. These constituencies include Lahore’s NA-131 constituency from where according to unofficial results PTI chairman Imran Khan has defeated former railways minister Khawaja Saad Rafique.

Similarly, the ECP has also withheld the result of one NA and two Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly constituencies of Nowshera from where former KP chief minister Pervez Khattak has won. The ECP has stopped announcement of the results for violation of the election code by Mr Khattak when he had used inappropriate language against his rivals during the campaign. Mr Khattak has already tendered an apology through a video message over his act.

There are eight Punjab Assembly constituencies whose results were expected to be withheld by the ECP due to cases pending before courts.

Published in Dawn, August 7th, 2018