SC upholds ECP verdict regarding recount on NA-154, 81, 79

• 3-member bench announces reserved verdict. 
• Justice Aqeel Abbasi dissents from decision. 
• Apex court declares LHC verdict null and void. 

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Monday overturned Lahore High Court's (LHC) verdict declaring a recount of votes in three National Assembly constituencies null where Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidates had won. 

A three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, delivered the reserved verdict by a majority of 2-1 on the pleas filed by the PML-N leaders. 

Justice Aqeel Abbasi of the top court dissented with the decision in favour of PML-N candidates Azhar Qayyum Nahra, Abdul Rehman Kanju and Zulfikar Ahmed.

I am of the opinion that the impugned judgments/orders passed by the LHC in the aforesaid Writ Petitions do not suffer from any factual error or legal infirmity, therefore, do not require any interference by this Court, under Article 185(3) of the Constitution. Accordingly, the above civil petitions are dismissed and leave to appeal refused," said the verdict.

The development comes after the three Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) affiliated independent candidtaes, Rana Faraz Noon from NA-154, Bilal Ejaz from NA-81 Gujranwala, and Ehsanullah Wark from NA-79 Gujranwala, were declared successful. 

However, the PML-N candidates requested for the recounting of votes after which the Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) declared them winners. 

The independent candidates then challenged the ECP's decision in the LHC which, in April, overturned the election outcome.

The PML-N candidates then approached the SC against the verdict given by the LHC. Following this, the three-member bench reinstated them as NA members and declared LHC's decision null and void.

The request for a recount in the constituencies of NA-154 (Lodhran), NA-81 (Gujranwala), and NA-79 (Gujranwala) was submitted to the top court, resulting in this decision.