Recount of votes begins in Jacobabad's NA-196 constituency

JACOBABAD: The vote recounting process has commenced in Jacobabad’s NA-196 constituency in the presence of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) candidate Aijaz Jakhrani and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Anwar Soomro, ARY News reported on Friday.

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

According to the ECP officials, a total of 472 polling stations are present in the constituency.

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 recount of votes owing to the federal cabinet session.

READ: RO ORDERS RECOUNTING OF VOTES IN NA-196 CONSTITUENCY

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.

PTI candidate 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.