All eyes on NA-249 as recount begins
Neither PPP nor PML-N willing to accept other’s victory
Sindh Assembly Session. PHOTO: NNI
KARACHI:
The Election Commission of Pakistan is to begin recounting the votes for the hotly contested seat of the National Assembly seat from Karachi’s NA-249 constituency seat today (Thursday) but no matter which way the decision swings, the recently held by-poll is likely to remain controversial. Neither the Pakistan Peoples Party nor the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, which ostensibly bagged the highest and second highest number of votes, respectively, are willing to accept the other’s mandate on the seat.
PML-N candidate Miftah Ismail talking to the media in Karachi. DawnNewsTV
Four political parties including the PTI, the PML-N, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and the Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) announced on Thursday a boycott of the recounting of votes in Karachi s NA-249 constituency.
The parties accused the returning officer (RO) of failing to provide the Form 45 and Form 46 and breaking the seal of the ballot bag.
Speaking to the media in Karachi, PML-N candidate Miftah Ismail stated that the RO had refused to give the Form 45 and Form 46, adding that a full audit was also refused.
Unused ballots were not counted and signatures weren t shown either, he claimed. When we asked why there was no seal on the first ballot bag brought in, we were told that it might have fallen down, he said.
LAHORE: The PML-N has announced to challenge the results of the NA-249 Karachi by-poll in which the party’s candidate lost to PPP’s Qadir Khan Mandokhail by a margin of just 683 votes.
The unofficial election results were announced after 11 hours while the voter turn out was measured at 21.64%.
PML-N leader and former PM Nawaz Sharif’s spokesperson, Mohammad Zubair said the party would challenge the election results and added that the results of 80 polling stations had been altered.
“We have requested the Election Commission of Pakistan in this regard,” he said.
In a separate statement on Twitter, PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz said the election was stolen from PML-N by only a few hundred votes.
NA-249 Karachi by-election results held back for recount
PPP s Mandokhail had seemed to beat Miftah Ismail SAMAA | Zamzam and Syed Khursheed Alam - Posted: May 2, 2021 | Last Updated: 1 month ago SAMAA | Zamzam and Syed Khursheed Alam Posted: May 2, 2021 | Last Updated: 1 month ago
Photo: File
said it will be done on May 6.
The final results of the by-election to NA-249 in Karachi were held back on Saturday, after the results were challenged by PML-N’s Miftah Ismail.
All candidates have been called May 4. Miftah Ismail wanted a recount in the entire constituency. He applied for a recount and the two-member ECP bench decided to grant it. The ECP said in a two-page note that since every candidate was complaining of how polling had taken place, that they could withhold the results, which had not been declared final anyway.
NA-249 by-poll: Election stolen from PML-N, alleges Maryam Nawaz
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Maryam Nawaz asks ECP to withhold NA-249 results.
Says this victory [of PPP] will be temporary and will come back to PML-N soon.
Mohammad Zubair says results of 80 polling stations were changed.
LAHORE: PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz on Friday alleged the NA-249 by-election was stolen from the party after unofficial results showed PPP s Qadir Khan Mandokhail winning the election by a margin of just 683 votes.
The unofficial election results were announced after 11 hours while the voter turn out was measured at 21.64%.
In a statement on Twitter, Maryam said the election was stolen from PML-N by only a few hundred votes.