Form 45 has no importance to votes: CJP

Islamabad: The Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, while rejecting the votes recount request of the candidate of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) regarding the Balochistan Assembly seat PB-14, said that Form 45 has no importance as compared to the votes.

A three-member bench of the Supreme Court headed by the Chief Justice heard the petition related to the allegations of bias against the recounting and Returning Officers (ROs) in Balochistan's provincial constituency PB-14.

The Supreme Court rejected PPP candidate Ghulam Rasool's plea for a recount in PB-14 and allegations of favoritism against the returning officers, upholding the victory of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Muhammad Khan Lehri.

During the hearing, the lawyer for the petitioner said that he filed a request for a recount at seven out of 96 polling stations.

On this, Qazi Faez Isa Justice asked the petitioner how he came to know that a wrong result was prepared. Once the boxes were opened, whether its Form 45 or 75, has no status.

Justice Naeem Afghan said that the presiding officers presented the original records, you are running the case on the copies. The petitioner's witnesses gave wrong names even of the presiding officers, they could not even prove themselves as polling agents.

Justice Qazi Faez Isa remarked that the most important evidence in an election is the vote, Form 45 is filled by the presiding officer, either object to the recount that the boxes were open, or prove the bias of the presiding officers, or that they were relatives.

During the hearing, the petitioner's lawyer said that these results were not according to Form 45 and the officers were biased. On this, the Chief Justice replied that even if the presiding officer is a mortal enemy, the decision is made by vote, Form 45 has no importance in front of votes.

Justice Shahid Bilal told the PPP leader's lawyer that the record does not prove his allegations, the case is very simple.

Later, the court rejected the request of PPP's Ghulam Rasool and upheld the success of PML-N candidate Muhammad Khan Lehri.