NA-249: ECP completes vote recounting process of 107 polling stations

KARACHI: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) officials have concluded the vote recounting process on the second day by completing the recounting of votes of 107 polling stations.
During the second day of the recounting process, 244 votes of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) candidate Qadir Khan Mandokhail were declared rejected, 456 votes of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Miftah Ismail have been rejected and 339 of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).
The ECP officers rejected 65 votes of Amjad Afridi, the candidate of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), 180 of Pakistan Sarzameen Party (PSP) chief Mustafa Kamal and 190 of an independent candidate Ahmed.
The vote recounting process was concluded after the Iftar break which will be continued on Saturday (today) at 10:00 am.
The ECP announced earlier in the day that the vote recount of the NA-249 by-poll will continue during Eidul Fitr, cancelling the festival’s holidays of the provincial staff and its provincial offices with necessary staff will remain open as vote recount will continue to work during the holidays.
However, all political parties except Pakistan People’s Party boycotted recounting of votes in NA-249 over non-provision of form 45 and 46.
Last week, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had accepted Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Miftah Ismail’s plea seeking vote recount in Karachi’s NA-249 constituency.
Meanwhile, the PTI had demanded the authorities to hold re-elections in the constituency while the PML-N had filed a petition.
Meanwhile, while canceling Eid holidays of the provincial staff on Friday Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced that the vote recount on the NA-249 by-poll will continue during Eid.
The ECP has decided that its provincial offices with necessary staff will remain open as vote recount will continue on the Eid days. The election commission has issued a notification to abolish Eid holidays in the Sindh offices as offices of the returning officer and district returning officer will remain open.
The recounting of votes in the National Assembly (NA) constituency NA-249 by-election continued on the second consecutive day today (Friday) despite boycott by all the political parties except Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). – TLTP