Amidst claims of unfair practices and changing election results, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has finally put Form 45 on its website.
This action comes after a lot of attention from the law and the public due to delays in sharing important election documents.
The release of Form 45, along with Forms 46, 48, and 49, happened because the Islamabad High Court told the ECP to do so. The court was approached by lawyers from Majlis Wahdat al-Muslimeen (MWM) who had concerns.
MWM raised objections about the Election Commission not uploading necessary forms, especially Form 45 and 47, within the required time according to the Election Act.
In a court hearing led by Chief Justice Aamir Farooq of the Islamabad High Court, lawyers from MWM, like Iman Zainab Mazari and Abdul Hadi Chattah, argued strongly for following the law, which says these forms should be online within 14 days after the general elections.
Chief Justice Aamir Farooq, responding to the concerns, stressed the importance of dealing with objections first before moving forward. This emphasized the need for a proper legal process.
Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, the head of Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen, highlighted how important it is to publish election documents on time. He said that it’s crucial to uphold the people’s choice with honesty and openness.
The delay in releasing these forms had caused a lot of criticism, with worries about how fair and transparent the election process was. The delayed release of Form 45, which gives detailed information about each polling station’s results, is expected to bring more clarity and understanding about the election results.