PTI seeks annulment of NA-249 by-election

The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) after its defeat in NA-249 Karachi West II by-election formally filed a petition in the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for annulment of the by-poll, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

The PTI while filing the appeal in the ECP put different charges of rigging on the polling day and before it in the constituency.

The ruling party also put allegations against the Pakistan People’s Party backed by the Sindh government for appointing blue-eyed presiding officers from provincial education department to get favour in the by-election.

As many as 17,000 votes initially enrolled in the said constituency were deliberately transferred to other cities while the PPP also started different development projects in the constituency to confirm a win of its candidate.

It is also alleged the presiding officers that they did not provide Form 45 to the polling agents of the candidates, so the by-elections in NA-249 should be declared invalid.

While the ECP on Wednesday released a detailed verdict on the appeal of a candidate of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Miftah Ismail endorsing recounting of votes process but rejected the demand of forensic audit of the votes in NA-249 by-poll.

As per the decision of the ECP, the recounting process would start tomorrow at 9 O’clock sharp at the Regional Officer’s (RO) Office and Regional Election Commissioner Hyderabad Sain Bukhsh Channar would supervise the RO in this regard.

Representatives of all 18 political parties including PPP, PML-N, PTI and 12 independent candidates were called to approach the RO Office at right time to observe the recounting process. The process of recounting of votes could take time from three to four days as around 30 to 35 bags of votes would be recounted on daily basis.

Reporters Zeshan Bhatti and Iqtidar Anwar