KARACHI: All political parties who have participated in the NA-249 by-polls, except the winning Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) have boycotted the recount of votes.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is holding a recount of votes in NA-249 on the request of PML-N candidate Miftah Ismail, who had lost the April 29 by-poll to PPP’s Qadir Mandokhel.
The recount was being held in the presence of all the candidates when all parties who had participated in the elections boycotted the recounting process. They held a protest outside the returning officer’s office alleging that the polling bags were not sealed when brought for recount.
The candidates of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP), Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and other political parties except PPP boycotted the recount.
Talking to media outside the ECP, PTI’s Amjad Afridi said they had demanded the election commission to provide details of Form 45 and 46 before the recount. He claimed the votes bags brought for recounting were even not sealed.
PML-N’s Miftah Ismail also claimed that were denied provision of Form 45 and 46 by the ECP officials. He said they have not been given the record of used and unused ballot papers.
He claimed the first bag opened for recounting was unsealed and the officials replied the seal might have been broken.. He said the vote recount cannot be carried out without the provision of Form 46.
The ECP said the vote recounting in the NA-249 constituency will continue despite a boycott by major political parties.. the commission clarified that according to the chief election commissioner’s order issued on the PML-N’s petition, it is bound to recount only the votes that were polled and rejected.
ECP officials said despite the boycott, the recount process will be completed as per the order, adding that political parties were demanding data which was not possible to retrieve.
Miftah Ismail had requested the ECP for a vote recount over irregularities on election day who argued that a large number of Form 45 were not duly signed by the presiding officers.
He also claimed and the polling agents of the party were also not given Form 46. He had further pointed out that there was a difference in the total votes recorded in Form 45 and Form 47. After hearing arguments on May 4, the ECP had ordered the the recount of votes.
