SAGODHA-Eleven women residents of Sargodha on Friday filed a petition in the Lahore High Court (LHC) requesting that the results of July 25 general election in NA-89 and PP-74 constituencies should be declared null and void because female voters were allegedly barred from casting their vote.
The petitioners claimed that "feudal elements" in the area had issued death threats to women who wished to exercise their right to vote. Around 4,000 women in the constituency were eligible to vote, the petition says.
The Election Act, 2017, allows the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to nullify the results of a constituency where women's turnout is less than 10 per cent of the total polled votes.
The petition filed before the high court has nominated ECP as one of the respondents. The LHC will hear the petition on Monday.
PML-N candidate Mohsin Shahnawaz Ranjha had emerged victorious from NA-89 (Sargodha), while PML-N's Mian Manazar Hussain Ranjha had won PP-74 seat.