ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has notified the Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Qadir Khan Mandokhail return to the National Assembly following his victory in the NA-249 by-poll in Karachi.
According to ECP, “In pursuance of the provision of sub-section of Section 98 of the Elections Act, 2017, the Election Commission of Pakistan hereby publishes the name of candidate returned to the National Assembly of Pakistan as a result of the by-election held on 29.04.2021 from the undermentioned constituency.”
#NA249 pic.twitter.com/GnJiQTZFCU
— Election Commission of Pakistan (OFFICIAL)???????? (@ECP_Pakistan) May 9, 2021
On Saturday, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had retained the NA-249 by-election with a greater margin as Abdul Qadir Mandokhel of PPP declared winner in the final result after the votes recount.
As per details, after a recount of votes polled across all 276 stations, PPP candidate Abdul Qadir Mandokhel got 15,656 votes, whereas PML-N candidate Miftah Ismail secured 14,747, meaning a victory margin of 909 votes.
Earlier, when the unofficial by-poll results were first announced, Mandokhel won with 16,156 votes, whereas Ismail came in second with 15,473, resulting in a difference of 683 votes.
The low margin of votes had prompted Ismail to petition the Election Commission of Pakistan to hold a recount. The recount had been boycotted by all parties except for the PPP.
ECP officials said despite the boycott, the recount process will be completed as per the order, adding that political parties were demanding data that 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 was 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 recount of votes.
