LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday stopped Election Commission of Pakistan from issuing notification of returned Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz candidate Khawaja Muhammad Asif in NA-73 Sialkot.
Justice Mamoon Rashid Sheikh passed the orders while hearing a petition filed by runner-up Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf candidate Usman Dar from the constituency.
Representing the petitioner, Advocate Anees Hashmi submitted before the court that his client lost the election to Khawaja Asif with a thin margin in NA-73. He submitted that the petitioner moved an application with the returning officer for complete vote recount but the returning officer agreed to recount of 15 polling stations only. He contended that the returning officer’s decision was not in accordance with the Election Act which directed for a complete recounting in case of thin victory margin. He pleaded with the court to issue directions for a complete recount of polled votes besides stopping notification of respondent candidate until the completion of the process.
At this, the court stopped the Commission from issuing the notification and issued notices to respondents for August 8 and sought a reply.
Meanwhile, the court also dismissed a petition for a vote recount in NA-114, filed by PPP runner-up candidate Faisal Saleh Hayat.

Relevant pieces published earlier: 

i) The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday stopped the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) from issuing notification regarding Rana Sanaullah’s victory from NA-106 Faisalabad.
Justice Mamoon Rashid Sheikh passed the orders while hearing a petition filed by Runner-up candidate of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Dr. Nisar Ahmad Jutt seeking a vote recount in the constituency.
During the hearing, the petitioner’s counsel arguing before the court submitted the petitioner lost election to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz candidate Rana Sanaullah from  NA-106 constituency with a thin margin. Raising various concerns, the counsel requested with the court to order vote recount in the constituency. The court was also requested to stop notification of Sanaullah’s victory.
The court after hearing arguments stopped the ECP from issuing the victory notification of Rana Sanaullah and issued notices to ECP and other respondents for August 7 and sought
their reply. It is pertinent to mention here that Sanaullah, a former Punjab law minister won the NA-106 seat with 106,310 votes, defeating PTI candidate Nisar Ahmad Jutt who received 103,779 votes. (Published on 6th August 2018) 

ii) The Lahore High Court Saturday stopped the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) from issuing notification of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan’s victory from NA-131.The court also ordered a vote recount in the constituency.
Justice Mamoon Rashid Sheikh passed the orders while allowing a petition filed by runner-up Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz candidate Khawaja Saad Rafique.
Earlier, Rafique’s counsel pleaded that the RO had rejected his client’s request for a recount despite facts showing that a recount should have been allowed.
He asked the LHC to order a recount in the constituency. He also requested to stop the ECP from issuing victory notification.
However, Imran’s counsel opposed the plea saying that vote recount application was filed after the returning officer had consolidated the result. He said that the petition was not maintainable.
The court after hearing the arguments reserved its decision for a few hours and it was announced in the evening. The former railways’ minister had lost to the PTI chief by a difference of 680 votes, receiving 83,633 votes against Imran Khan’s 84,313. (Published on 5th August 2018)