Only 37% of Election Petitions Decided So Far, Says FAFEN

Out of the 124 petitions challenging National Assembly results, only 33 (26%) have been decided.

By DTD- On Apr 28, 2025

ISLAMABAD — As of April 20, 2025, only 37 percent of the 372 election petitions filed following the 2024 General Elections have been decided by election tribunals across Pakistan’s four provinces, according to data released by the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN).

Between February 1 and April 20, tribunals resolved 24 petitions—21 from Punjab, two from Balochistan, and one from Sindh—bringing the total number of decided cases to 136. No petitions from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were decided during this period, partly due to four largely non-functional tribunals, including two in KP, one in Punjab, and the only tribunal in Islamabad Capital Territory.

Out of the 124 petitions challenging National Assembly results, only 33 (26%) have been decided. For Provincial Assembly results, 103 of 248 petitions (42%) have been settled. Balochistan leads in disposal rate, with 83% of its 51 petitions decided, followed by Punjab (34% of 192), Sindh (22% of 83), and KP (21% of 42).

Of the 136 resolved cases, 133 were dismissed while only three were accepted. Among the dismissals, 52 were due to non-maintainability, 21 due to unproven allegations, 14 for non-prosecution, and nine were withdrawn. Another three were dismissed for miscellaneous reasons such as the death or resignation of the returned candidate. FAFEN is still awaiting official documentation for 34 dismissed cases, with reasons yet to be confirmed.

Despite increased activity in Punjab, FAFEN noted an overall slowdown in the pace of decisions, raising concerns about the efficiency and functionality of some tribunals.