Bad news for the PML-N as the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday declared the victory notification of its candidate Azhar Qayyum Nahra from NA-81, Gujranwala null and void and gave the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) time to submit its reply in the case, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Justice Shahid Kareem of the LHC heard the petition filed by Bilal Ijaz Chaudhry, who had contested the election from the constituency as a PTI-backed independent candidate.  

Later, the LHC said it would resume hearing of the case after Eidul Fitr.

Nahra had initially lost the election to Chaudhry, but later challenged his defeat in the ECP, which ordered recounting of the votes in 75 polling stations in NA-81, Gujranwala.

However, when the counting was done again, Nahra emerged victorious from the constituency, 3,201 votes ahead of Chaudhry.

Reporter: Malik Ashraf