ISLAMABAD: PML-N candidate Miftah Ismail’s plea for a recount in the entire NA-249 constituency has been accepted by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
In the order, the Election Commission has directed all the political parties to reach the office of Returning Officer at 9:00am on May 6 where the recounting would be held.
Ismail had written a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, seeking a vote recount in NA-249 after he lost the poll by 683 votes. PPP’s Qadir Khan Mandokhel had pulled off a surprising victory in the April 29 election.
A four-member bench headed by the CEC heard Ismail's request for a recount, in which Latif Khosa from PPP and Salman Akram Raja from PML-N argued.
During the hearing, PML-N lawyer Salman Akram Raja presented Form 45 to the commission and said that under the law, a signed Form 45 must be given to every polling agent. “At 167 polling stations, Form 45 was not signed by any polling agent. Not a single Form 46 has been issued to us and none of them were signed. Something happened with Form 45 and Form 46 after polling ended.”
He said the issue of Form 46 was problematic and should be investigated as no presiding officer had issued it at any polling station, except one. The procedure was not followed as per the law and we were officially told a difference of 683 votes, he said.
The PML-N’s counsel said the matter of Form 45 and 46 shows interference and demanded a recount in the whole constituency. “This matter should be fully investigated as the whole process has become suspicious.”
On the other hand, PPP lawyer Latif Khosa argued that no complaint was lodged with the RO or the Election Commission during or after the polling and the RO is not bound to accept the recount request.
“They didn't provide evidence and just said that there are doubts,” he said.
Khosa said this application is absolutely "unjustified."
Later, after the arguments of both parties were concluded, the Election Commission reserved its decision.
The CEC said that the decision on the application will be announced today.
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