SUKKUR: Muhammad Mian Soomro’s suit against recounting votes in Jacobabad’s NA-196 constituency has been found maintainable by the Sindh High Court’s Sukkur bench. Soomro, the Federal Minister for Privatization, had contested the election tribunal’s decision in NA-196 to recount votes. The high court’s Sukkur bench has fixed the hearing of the petition on January 12. The court has issued notices to parties, to appear in the court hearing. Muhammad Mian Soomro’s lawyers had filed a petition in the court seeking a restraining order against recounting of votes. Sukkur’s election tribunal had decided for recounting votes after rival candidate Aijaz Jakhrani of PPP, had challenged the victory of PTI’s Muhammad Mian Soomro in the 2018 general elections. Earlier, the representatives of PTI candidates in recounting had alleged that the vote bags and envelopes were broken and other election material has been missing. According to PTI representatives, the election tribunal’s order was verbal, and no formal order has yet been released. The party’s agents claimed that “broken bags and unsealed letters reveal a strategy of rigging in favour of the rival candidate.” “In the meantime, the Returning Officer will not listen to any complaint,” they stated. In the general elections, Muhammad Mian Soomro won the National Assembly seat with 92,274 votes in the NA-196 district. Aijaz Jakhrani of the PPP came in second with 86,876 votes.