A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court of Pakistan to reject the general elections held on February 8.
A three-judge bench of the Pakistan Supreme Court will on Monday hear a petition seeking to declare the general elections invalid, reports The Express Tribune.
Pakistan citizen Ali Khan has appealed to the court in the petition to order fresh elections within 30 days.
Further, the petition demands holding of general elections under the supervision and monitoring of the judiciary to ensure fairness, transparency and accountability.
Elections held in Pakistan on 8 February
According to The Express Tribune, the petition has named the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the federal government as respondents in the case. The petition reportedly demands a stay on the formation of the new government until the matter is resolved.
General elections were held in Pakistan on 8 February, in which Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supported independent candidates won 92 seats, Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) won 75 seats and Pakistan Peoples Party won 54 seats.
Allegations of election rigging
Various political parties and losing candidates have alleged fraud in the elections, reports The Express Tribune.
Meanwhile, the Sindh High Court (SHC) directed that the election monitors should hear the complaints of all parties and take a decision as per the law before February 22.
Further, it said that the Election Commission should scrutinize the records of the applicants in Forms 45 and 47. The court has ordered that if any irregularity is found, it should be removed.
It is noteworthy that after the general elections in Pakistan, there have been widespread protests in Balochistan, Sindh and other parts of the country against the alleged rigging in the 2024 general elections.
Political parties including National Party, PPP, JUI, BAP, BNP-Mengal, PKMAP and PKNAP protested on major routes and district returning offices, demanding recount in Balochistan and challenging the declared results.
Meanwhile, four political parties including BNP-M, PKMAP and Hazara Democratic Party (HDP) announced joint protests against alleged election rigging in the province.
Protests are taking place
Furthermore, these political parties also set up a joint protest camp to put pressure on the Election Commission of Pakistan to reconsider the results of their constituencies.
Various political parties including Awami National Party, JUI and some candidates blocked the main highways connecting Balochistan with Karachi, Sindh, Punjab and other parts of the country.
Reportedly today, the capital police have imposed Section 133 in Islamabad and said action will be taken against any illegal gathering of people.