NA-127 Lahore: Pattan report exposes electoral manipulation in Atta Tarar's constituency

Pattan-Coalition 38 (Pattan-C38), a network of civil society organizations focused on monitoring elections and promoting democratic values, has released a critical audit of the February 2024 election results, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Friday.  

The report highlights significant irregularities and alleged electoral manipulation, particularly in NA-127 Lahore, where PML-N’s Atta Tarar was declared the winner.

The Pattan-C38 audit alleges that NA-127 Lahore serves as a clear example of election mismanagement, marked by manipulations in electoral results, gerrymandering, and ballot rigging.

According to the report, the initial delimitations of NA-127 included four partial provincial constituencies: PP-157, PP-160, PP-161, and PP-162. However, in a controversial move, polling stations from another provincial constituency, PP-163, were added to the polling scheme shortly before the election day, bypassing lawful procedures.

The audit also revealed alarming discrepancies in the election documentation.

Hundreds of Form 45s and Form 46s—key documents used to compile the election results at each polling station—were either missing, incomplete, or illegible.

These issues have raised serious concerns about the transparency and accuracy of the election results, making it difficult to conduct a thorough audit.

Pattan-C38 emphasized that such discrepancies are impossible to conceal and are indicative of potential manipulations at various levels of the electoral process.

The report suggests that similar issues were found in other regions, including parts of Sindh and KPK, further questioning the integrity of the February 2024 elections across Pakistan.

These findings have prompted calls for an in-depth investigation into the electoral process in NA-127 and other affected areas to ensure that the democratic process is upheld and that any instances of fraud or manipulation are addressed.

Reporter: Usman Khan