NA-196 vote recounting resumes in Jacobabad's RO office

JACOBABAD: The vote recounting Jacobabad’s NA-196 constituency votes resumed in at the office of the returning officer here on Saturday, ARY News reported.

The representatives of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) candidate Aijaz Jakhrani and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Muhammad Mian Soomro were present during recounting of votes, which will continued till 5:00pm, election commission sources said.

A large contingent of police has been deployed for security at the RO office in Jacobabad.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) began the vote recounting in NA-196 constituency in the light of the orders of Sukkur’s election tribunal after PPP leader Aijaz Jakhrani challenged the victory of PTI’s Muhammad Mian Soomro in the 2018 general elections.

On December 7, ECP had deferred the recounting of votes on the request of Muhammad Mian Soomro till December 10. Soomro, who is a federal minister, had said that he could not attend the vote recount owing to a session of the federal cabinet.

Pakistan People’s Party’s candidate Aijaz Jakhrani had challenged the victory of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Muhammad Mian Soomro in NA-196 in the 2018 general elections. He had filed an appeal against the election results of the constituency in the election tribunal.

After Election Tribunal Sukkur’s decision for recounting, the Returning Officer issued orders to this effect. The election commission had earlier announced the recounting of votes in NA-196 Jacobabad constituency on December 07.

Muhammad Mian Soomro had won the National Assembly seat by securing 92,274 votes in the NA-196 constituency in general elections. PPP’s Aijaz Jakhrani was runner-up with 86,876 votes.

Mr Soomro is currently holding the portfolio of Federal Minister for Privatization.