Vote recount underway in Faisalabad's five constituencies

FAISALABAD: A recount of ballot papers has been underway in Faisalabad’s four National Assembly constituencies, NA-105, NA-106, NA-108, and NA-110 as well as one provincial assembly constituency, PP-115.

Recounting of votes in these constituencies has been underway for the last four days on requests by the candidates who lost the election to their rivals.

PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah won NA-106 seat, while PTI’s Raja Riaz and Raza Nasser returned on NA-110 and NA-105, respectively. PML-N’s Advocate Ali Abbas returned winner in Punjab Assembly constituency PP-115.

A day earlier,  the Election Commission of Pakistan allowed recounting of ballots in 10 national and 16 provincial assembly constituencies including NA-129, won by former speaker of National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq, former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s NA-57 and Yousuf Raza Gillani’s NA-158.

According to the ECP, the constituencies where votes will be recounted are: NA-57 Rawalpindi, NA-158 Multan, NA-110 Faisalabad, NA-129 Lahore, NA-15 Abbottabad, NA10 Shangla, NA159 Multan, NA-170 Bahawalpur, NA118 Nankana Sahib and NA140 Kasur.

In Punjab, the ECP ordered to recount votes in PP 290, 291, 220, 228 and a few others.

Earlier the PML-N leaders – Shahid Khaqan, Maryam Aurangzeb and Ayaz Sadiq – had expressed disappointment that Abbasi’s plea for vote recount in his hometown constituency in NA-57 Murree was turned down by the Returning Officer forcing him to stay out of parliament.

In NA-158, PTI’s Muhammad Ibrahim Khan won with 83345 votes against Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani of the PPP who got 74443 votes.

In NA-129, PML-N’s Ayaz Sadiq emerged victorious with 103,021 votes while Abdul Aleem Khan of PTI secured 94,879 votes.

In NA-57, Sadaqat Ali Abbasi of the PTI defeated Shahid Khaqan Abbasi of PML-N bagging 136,249 against the latter’s 124,703 votes.