Pakistan Election Tribunals Yet To Decide Majority Petitions

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A significant number of election petitions from Pakistan’s 2024 general elections remain undecided, according to a recent update by the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN). Between April 21 and July 31, 2025, election tribunals resolved 35 more petitions, bringing the total to 171 out of 374, approximately 46% of the total caseload across the country.

The 374 petitions tracked by FAFEN include 124 that challenge National Assembly (NA) results and 250 concerning Provincial Assembly (PA) constituencies. Despite ongoing efforts, 62% of the NA-related cases and 50% of the PA-related cases are still awaiting decisions.

Punjab accounted for most of the recent decisions, with 28 out of the 35 petitions resolved between April and July. Four tribunals based in Lahore decided 15 petitions, Bahawalpur handled nine, and the Rawalpindi and Multan tribunals decided two each. Sindh saw three decisions from its Karachi tribunals, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu tribunal also decided three, while Balochistan’s Quetta tribunal resolved one petition.

Punjab’s tribunals have shown increased efficiency in recent months, while other provinces have seen a noticeable slowdown. As of July 31, twelve out of 23 election tribunals had not resolved any petitions since April 21, 2025.

A provincial breakdown of resolved cases shows that Balochistan’s three tribunals are the most efficient, having resolved 44 of 52 petitions (85%). Punjab’s eight tribunals have handled 94 of 192 cases (49%). In contrast, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s six tribunals decided 12 out of 43 (28%), and Sindh’s five tribunals concluded 21 of 84 petitions (25%).

Of the 124 petitions challenging NA results, only 47 (38%) have been decided. These include 30 from Punjab, nine from Balochistan, five from Sindh, and three from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. As for PA-related cases, 124 of 250 (50%) have been resolved: 64 from Punjab, 35 from Balochistan, 16 from Sindh, and nine from K-P.

Out of all 171 decided cases, only three have been accepted; the remaining 168 were dismissed. Among the dismissed cases, 81 (48%), including 24 for NA and 57 for PA  were rejected on non-maintainability grounds. Another 22 petitions (13%) were dismissed after the petitioners failed to provide sufficient evidence.

The data shows that while progress has been made, a majority of petitions remain unresolved over a year after the general elections, highlighting the need for consistent and timely adjudication.