Karachi: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday said the vote recounting in the NA-249 constituency will continue despite a boycott by major political parties, a private TV channel reported.
According to the chief election commissioner, the ECP is bound to recount only the votes that were polled and rejected, the ECP clarified. Despite the boycott, “the recount process will be completed as per the order,” an ECP official said.
He said that political parties were demanding data which was not possible to retrieve. The channel reported that reservations were raised regarding the ‘legitimacy’ and ‘transparency’ of the recount on Thursday, when the candidates expressed their concerns over the ‘unsealed’ polling bags.
FORM 46
Candidates stormed out of the DRO’s office in protest. PML-N candidate Miftah Ismail told journalists that the officials were not providing them Form 46 despite multiple requests. “When they brought the first bag, it was not sealed and, on our complaint, they said it might have fallen somewhere,” he said.
“Only PPP’s candidate is sitting inside,” he said. “Is this Hitler’s Germany,” he asked, adding that the party would approach the ECP again. The PML-N leader also said that they were not allowed to review signatures and count unused ballots.
On the other hand, PTI candidate Amjad said the rights of the people of NA-249 have been infringed upon, deeming the election the worst election in Karachi’s history. He said that he had submitted the boycott application. He said that about 95% of the presiding officers were from the Education Department.
Amidst reservations expressed by PML-N and PTI, PPP leader Qadir Mandokhel said that the ECP decisions were unbiased and fair, saying defeat has become the destiny of PML-N.
“Our contest was with the TLP. All parties, including the independent candidates, are inside the returning officer’s office except for candidates of four parties,” he said. “There’s no role of Form 45 and Form 46 in the recount,” he said, adding that they were just making excuses after losing the election.
Miftah Ismail had a recount over irregularities on election day, arguing that a large number of Form 45s were not duly signed by the presiding officers. He said that the polling agents of the party were also not provided Form 46. He pointed out that there was a difference in the total votes recorded in Form 45 and Form 47.
In Khushab, a rural constituency spread across 50km, the results were finalized by 1:30am whereas in NA-249, the results were announced after 4am, the PML-N leader pointed out. Qadri Mandokhel said the PPP was confident of its victory.