Court annuls ECP order on recount in six Karachi UCs

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday annulled the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) order on recounting votes in six union councils (UCs) of Karachi.

IHC Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan pronounced the decision on the Jamaat-e-Islami’s request to stop the recount. The JI’s lawyers Qaiser Imam and Hasan Javed Shorosh, ECP officials and lawyers of other candidates appeared had before the court.

After hearing the arguments, the IHC stayed the implementation of the ECP’s orders for carrying out a recount in six UCs of Karachi until the next hearing. The court then issued notices to the candidates of the six UCs.

On March 22 the ECP had ordered recounting the votes in six UCs of Karachi. The JI had then filed a plea against alleged rigging and irregularities in the local government elections.

Following the plea, the ECP had directed the recounting of votes in six UCs. The LG poll results of the UCs the JI had challenged are Mominabad UC-3, Manghopir UC-12, Gulshan-e-Iqbal UC-1, and Orangi UCs 3, 7 and 8.