Supreme Court rules against altering election results

The Supreme Court has strongly criticised the role of returning officers (ROs) in altering election results, stating that administrative officials cannot override the will of the people. In a detailed judgment, the court emphasised that the sanctity of the vote must be preserved and any manipulation during the consolidation of results is unacceptable.

The ruling came in a case related to the NA-251 constituency, where discrepancies were found between Form-45 and Form-48. Form-45, prepared at polling stations, showed a clear majority for the appellant, while Form-48, compiled later by the RO, reflected a different outcome. The court observed that such changes were not minor clerical errors but had significantly altered the final result.

Justice Shakeel Ahmed, who authored the judgement, stated that election officials are custodians of public trust and must act with complete transparency and neutrality. The court noted that tampering at the consolidation stage is particularly dangerous as it occurs at the final step of determining the election outcome.

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The bench ruled that where evidence clearly shows a candidate has secured the majority, the court has the authority to declare that candidate elected rather than ordering a re-poll. It added that any unlawful alteration of vote counts could attract criminal liability under election laws.

The court also highlighted the constitutional responsibility of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to conduct elections honestly and fairly. It stressed that maintaining public confidence in the electoral process is essential for democratic stability.

As a result, the court overturned the earlier tribunal decision and directed the ECP to notify the appellant as the returned candidate, reinforcing the principle that the electorate’s mandate must be respected.