MULTAN: The Lahore High Court`s (LHC) Multan bench on Wednesday barred the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) from notifying results of three National Assembly and three provincial assembly seats till Aug 2 (today).

The court issued the orders on separate applications submitted by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf candidate for NA-190 Zulfiqar Khan Khosa (Dera Ghazi Khan), Jamshed Dasti NA-182 (Muzaffargarh), Pir Aslam Bodla NA-152 (Khanewal), Mir Badshah Qaisrani PP-285 (Taunsa Sharif), Mian Akbar Bhatti PP-232 (Vehari) and Iqbal Khan Pittafi PP-277 (Muzaffargarh).

In his petition, Mr Khosa through his counsel WasifMehmood Qureshi stated that on July 26 he was given Form-47, which clearly depicted that he secured 71,964 votes against his opponent Ajmad Farooq Khosa`s 71,854. His name was also uploaded as the winner on the ECP website.

He said the returning officer (RO) of his constituency issued a new result the next day on July 27 with a back date of July 26 declaring him the runner-up and his opponent the winner with a margin of 225 votes without any intimation, notice or hearing him and just put it up on the notice board.

On July 28, he filed an application for a recount in 13 polling stations, and the RO assured that if any discrepancy was observed he would order a recount in the remaining polling stations also. On recounting in 13 polling stations, he claimed, his opponent was leading with 193 votes, but when thepostal ballots were counted, Khosa got 197 votes and his opponent 97 and his opponent`s lead was reduced to 93 votes only. The RO deferred recounting in the remaining polling stations to the next day.

When on July 29 invalid votes were recounted, the lead of his opponent increased to 129 votes.

Khosa claimed that the RO dismissed his application for a recount without lawful justification despite negligence of the presiding officer and polling staff evident from recounting in 13 polling stations.

He requested that the July 29 order passed by the RO be declared illegal, a recount ordered and the ECP barred from issuing a final notification of the constituency.

The court while fixing Aug 2 (today) as the next date of hearing directed the ECP not to issue the final notification.postal ballots were counted, Khosa got 197 votes and his opponent 97 and his opponent`s lead was reduced to 93 votes only. The RO deferred recounting in the remaining polling stations to the next day.

When on July 29 invalid votes were recounted, the lead of his opponent increased to 129 votes.

Khosa claimed that the RO dismissed his application for a recount without lawful justification despite negligence of the presiding officer and polling staff evident from recounting in 13 polling stations.

He requested that the July 29 order passed by the RO be declared illegal, a recount ordered and the ECP barred from issuing a final notification of the constituency.

The court while fixing Aug 2 (today) as the next date of hearing directed the ECP not to issue the final notification.