PTI announces boycott of vote recounting in Jacobabad's NA-196

JACOBABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has announced boycott of the vote recounting in Jacobabad’s NA-196 constituency, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

Sukkur’s election tribunal had decided for recounting of votes after PPP candidate Aijaz Jakhrani had challenged the victory of PTI’s Muhammad Mian Soomro in the 2018 general elections.

The representatives of PTI candidate in recounting of votes have alleged that the vote bags and envelopes have been broken and other material has been missing.

“The election tribunal’s order has been verbal and no written order has been issued yet,” according to PTI representatives.

“Broken bags and unsealed envelopes indicate a plan of rigging in the favour of rival candidate,” the party’s agents alleged. “Meanwhile the Returning Officer is not prepared to listen any complaint,” they claimed.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) began the vote recounting in NA-196 constituency in the light of the orders of election tribunal.

Earlier, on December 7, ECP had deferred 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.

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.