LHC directs RO to stop PP-7 result till ECP orders

RAWALPINDI: Lahore High Court (Rawalpindi Bench) Justice Shams Mehmood Mirza on Wednesday ordered PTI candidate Shabbir Awan to contact the Election Commission

of Pakistan (ECP) to resolve the recounting issue of the PP-7 constituency and reach the ECP office at 10am on Thursday (today).

The court strictly directed the returning officer to stop the results of PP-7, Rawalpindi, till final orders of the ECP. Awan has challenged the returning officer’s decision to reject his plea for recounting in the PP-7 constituency and requested the court to order recounting in the constituency.

It is pertinent to mention here that PMLN candidate Raja Sagheer Ahmed had emerged victorious in the constituency by a thin margin of 49 votes in by-polls held on July 17. The RO, in a reserved verdict, has said all polling agents were present at the time of the result announcement and, therefore, recounting of votes will not be conducted.

The RO said the PTI candidate failed to provide any solid evidence that merited a vote recount in the constituency. “Due to lack of evidence, the PTI plea was rejected. Only rejected votes will be re-checked,” said the RO.