PHC suspends ECP’s decision on vote recount of 48 polling stations in NA-37

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Tuesday suspended the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision and stayed the recounting on 48 polling stations in NA-37 constituency in Kurram.

The PHC two-member bench comprising Justice SM Attique Shah and Justice Shakeel Ahmad heard the petition. Qazi Muhammad Anwar and Changiz Khan advocates represented the petitioner.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) backed winning candidate Hameed Hussain had challenged the ECP decision on recounting on 48 polling stations in NA-37 constituency in Kurram.

The lawyers informed the bench that PTI-backed candidate Hameed Hussain had won the February 8 general election in NA-37 constituency in Kurram, which was subsequently notified by the ECP. They said that the candidate was then sworn in and even cast his vote in the presidential election but the ECP then gave a verdict on February 26 for recounting on 48 polling stations in the NA-37 constituency at the request of rival candidate.

They pleaded that the ECP had also issued a written decision on recounting on 48 polling stations on the NA-37 constituency on March 6, which was illegal and unconstitutional. Upon this, the PHC stopped recounting on 48 polling stations in NA-37 constituency.