LA-17 | Pakistan

MUZAFFARABAD: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Election Commission on Saturday, by a 2-1 majority, rejected two petitions challenging the victory of the region’s Prime Minister, Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore, in LA-17 (Haveli). Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Ghulam Mustafa Mughal and Senior Member Muhammad Ahsen dismissed the petitions filed separately by PML-N candidate Chaudhry Mohsin Aziz and independent candidate Khawaja Tariq Saeed, stating that the disputes involved factual questions that could appropriately be resolved through an election petition before an Election Tribunal. Member Syed Nazeerul Hassan Gillani, however, dissented in both cases and directed the returning officer (RO) to recompile the results of the disputed polling stations based on Forms-24 prepared by presiding officers (POs) and supplied to polling agents at the polling stations. The majority view prevailed, and Rathore’s election notification remained intact. Under the applicable law, the majority decision prevails in the ...