ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday sent an ECP notice to Shafiullah Jan, an aide to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister, giving him seven days to submit a written explanation for allegations he made about the NA-18 Haripur by-election. The commission said the remarks were “incorrect, misleading, and not supported by any evidence,” and directed Jan to provide “concrete and verifiable” proof, Jan. 2, 2026.
The ECP notice, cited in reporting by Dawn and other Pakistani outlets, takes issue with Jan’s Dec. 19 news conference, where he blamed the election body for “irregularities” and claimed Form 47 was issued from Islamabad rather than the returning officer’s office.
Jan also said the Election Commission did not upload all Form 45 results from 602 polling stations in the constituency and argued that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz could not produce all of those forms. “This was a singular yet bizarre event in the country’s history, when a Form 47 was issued from Islamabad,” he said.
In recent election disputes, Forms 45 and 47 have become central to arguments over how polling-station vote counts are documented and how consolidated constituency results are compiled, including whether supporting paperwork is made publicly available.
ECP notice sets seven-day clock for a written reply
In the ECP notice, the commission warned that public accusations made without verifiable evidence can create “unnecessary confusion” and damage confidence in the electoral process. According to The Express Tribune, the commission described Jan’s allegations as “false and misleading” and said legal action could follow if he does not submit a written reply within the deadline.
The News reported that the election body attached a video recording and transcript of the Dec. 19 remarks with the notice and said it would treat the allegations as baseless if no supporting evidence is provided. The ECP notice also said it had reviewed the matter and found no basis to substantiate the claims.
The dispute traces back to the Nov. 23, 2025, by-election for NA-18 (Haripur), held after former opposition leader Omar Ayub Khan was disqualified and the seat was declared vacant. The ruling PML-N’s Babar Nawaz defeated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed independent Shehrnaz Omar Ayub, the former lawmaker’s wife, fueling fresh accusations that the contest was manipulated through post-poll documentation.
Those claims surfaced soon after polling: in comments reported in The Nation, Jan said the Haripur result was changed through “Form-47 manipulation” and called the outcome an insult to voters’ mandate.
Independent observers also raised process concerns, though not in the same terms. In its by-election observation report, FAFEN said the Nov. 23 polls were largely well managed but marked by recurring violations of campaign restrictions and “gaps in results transparency,” including instances where Form 45 was not provided or displayed at some polling stations.
Jan now must respond in writing and provide evidence to back his claims, or the commission says it will move ahead under the law. The ECP notice is the latest escalation in a months-long dispute over how results were compiled and shared in Haripur.
