Dr Yasmin Rashid to challenge NA-130 tribunal verdict in court

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Dr Yasmin Rashid has decided to challenge an election tribunal’s decision upholding the victory of PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif in Lahore’s NA-130 constituency.

According to her counsel, Rana Mudassar Umar, Dr Rashid took the decision after consultations with her legal team while in jail and directed him to immediately approach the court against the tribunal’s ruling.

He said an application had already been filed to obtain a certified copy of the verdict and that a petition would be submitted as soon as the copy was received. The lawyer maintained that the tribunal failed to properly assess the facts of the case and dismissed Dr Rashid’s election petition on “technical grounds”.

A day earlier, the election tribunal had upheld the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) notification declaring Nawaz Sharif the winner from NA-130 (Lahore-XIV), rejecting the PTI leader’s challenge to the February 8, 2024 general election result.

The tribunal, headed by Judge Rana Zahid Mahmood, dismissed Dr Rashid’s petition on technical grounds, meaning the official result notified by the ECP would remain in force. According to the final results, Sharif secured 179,310 votes, while Dr Rashid polled 104,485.

Dr Rashid had approached the tribunal shortly after polling, contending that the ECP did not follow due procedure while notifying Sharif’s victory. She alleged that the result was manipulated in his favour and sought to have the notification set aside.

The February 8, 2024 general election was followed by weeks of disputes and competing claims in several constituencies, with PTI-backed candidates alleging that results were altered during consolidation and notification.

PTI leaders repeatedly termed the controversy a “mandate issue”, arguing that outcomes should be based on polling-station results reflected in Form-45s rather than consolidated figures issued later. Most challenges were subsequently taken to election tribunals, where a large number of petitions remained pending for months.

NA-130 featured prominently in the wider debate over election transparency. Prior to polling, Dr Rashid’s candidacy itself was challenged but later restored by an election appellate tribunal, allowing her to contest against Nawaz Sharif.

Following the announcement of results, Dr Rashid filed an election petition before the Lahore High Court election tribunal, while PTI leaders claimed in public briefings that she had been leading in the constituency before Sharif was declared the winner.