ISLAMABAD: PTI-supported candidates Shoaib Shaheen and Ali Bukhari lodged petitions in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Saturday, contesting the outcomes of NA-47 and NA-48 constituencies, respectively.
Addressing the media outside the IHC, Shoaib Shaheen stated, “Today, along with Ali Bukhari, we have filed petitions. We have urged the registrar’s office to promptly schedule a hearing. We implore the chief justice to expedite the proceedings as the entirety of Islamabad recognizes NA-47 as my constituency. I possess Form-45. We have secured a substantial majority in this election.”
The independent candidate, supported by PTI, accused the involved authorities of pressuring the returning officers. He added, “Today, you are repeating the offense you committed previously. Now, the only recourse left is the judiciary.”
As per the declared results, independent candidate Raja Khuram Shehzad Nawaz won the NA-48 Islamabad-III election with 69,699 votes.
However, Bukhari asserted that he was leading according to initial results but was subsequently announced as the runner-up, receiving 59,851 votes.
Earlier, Shaheen criticized the NA-47 results where PML-N’s Tariq Fazal Chaudhry was declared the winner, vowing to pursue political and legal avenues.
Expressing concerns regarding “injustice and oppression against PTI”, Shaheen claimed that nomination papers were unfairly confiscated, alleging the Returning Officers (RO) of corruption.
Shaheen blamed the Supreme Court for the ongoing injustice and accused the ECP of misconduct during the election process.
He also mentioned his readiness to address any reservations against him with the RO and emphasized the need for transparency in the democratic process.
Accusing the authorities of undermining the state’s foundations, Shaheen declared his intention to protest and challenge the results, emphasizing that the people’s basic rights were being denied.
Furthermore, he highlighted discrepancies in the vote count and stated his intention to take the matter to court.