70 percent election petitions still pending 20 months after general polls

More than 70 percent of election petitions filed after the general elections 2024 remain undecided even after 20 months, despite the Election Act’s requirement that all such cases be resolved within 180 days, 24NewsHD TV reported on Saturday.

According to data from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), a total of 381 election petitions were filed with various election tribunals across the country. Of these, decisions have been made in only 115 cases, while 266 petitions remain pending.

Province-wise data shows that Punjab leads with 153 pending petitions, followed by Sindh with 69, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 32, Balochistan with 9, and Islamabad with 3 unresolved cases.

Under Section 155 of the Election Act, tribunals are legally bound to decide election disputes within six months of their filing.

However, the persistent backlog has raised concerns about delays in electoral justice and public confidence in the post-election accountability. 

Reporter: Usman Khan