All parties except PPP boycott recounting of votes in NA-249
- By Arbab Chandio -
- May 06, 2021
KARACHI: All political parties except Pakistan People’s Party on Thursday boycotted recounting of votes in NA-249 over non-provision of form 45 and 46, ARY News reported.
The Election Commission of Pakistan had ordered a recount of votes in NA-249 on the request of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Miftah Ismail, who had lost the April 29 by-poll to Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) Qadir Mandokhel.
The candidates of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Pak Sarzameen Party, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan and other political parties except PPP boycotted the recounting.
Talking to newsmen outside the Election Commission Office, PTI’s Amjad Afridi said they demanded of the ECP to provide details of Form 45 and 46 and until provision recounting is unacceptable.
Afridi claimed the votes bags brought for recounting were even not sealed.
PML-N’s Miftah Ismail claimed that were denied provision of Form 45 and 46 by the officials at the election commission. “We are not provided with the record of used and unused ballot papers.”
The first bag opened for recounting was unsealed and upon asking the officials replied the seal might have been broken while transporting the bags, Miftah claimed.
Read more: NA-249 vote recount: ECP seeks deployment of SSU commandos
He said the audit cannot be carried out without the provision of Form 46, I don’t know why Form 46 is not being given to them?
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday accepted Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Miftah Ismail’s plea seeking vote recount in Karachi’s NA-249.
Miftah’s plea
In his application, Miftah sought emergency action by CEC to seize sealed ballot papers and other election material used in NA-249 by-polls. He had stated in its plea that the election material should be kept at a secure location until the emergence of the final result of the by-polls.
He demanded CEC to keep the election material in a safe location under the supervision of Rangers or the Pakistan Army. He thanked the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for issuing a stay order on the results of NA-249 by-election.