LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Friday directed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold July 17 by-elections in Punjab on 20 seats of the provincial assembly strictly in the light of the Supreme Court’s directions.

Justice Sajid Mahmood Sethi passed the direction disposing of two petitions challenging the alleged changes in the voter lists by the ECP, one of these filed by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Punjab president Dr Yasmin Rashid and the other by a citizen, Munir Ahmad, through Advocate Azhar Siddique.

Punjab Election Commissioner Saeed Gull told the court the by-polls would be held as per the voters’ list finalised on May 25, 2022. He said the date of June 2, 2022 was mistakenly printed on the final voters’ list, which was later rectified. He said all complaints regarding the vote registration had been addressed as per the law.

The election commissioner also filed a written reply to the petitions, denying the charges leveled by the petitioners.

The reply said the contention in the petitions was false and baseless and liable to be dismissed.

Earlier, the petitioners’ counsel argued that the ECP made fictitious entries in the voter lists and showed dead voters as alive to benefit a particular political party. He said the ECP was duty bound to hold the elections in a transparent and fair manner.

He asked the court to order the ECP to ensure that no rigging or misappropriation was committed in the by-elections.

Published in Dawn, July 16th, 2022