ECP rejects PTI’s plea for vote recount in PP-7 by-polls

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday rejected the PTI’s plea for a recount of votes in the by-elections for the PP-7 constituency in Kahuta.

“The appellant has failed to give the reasons for a recount of the votes in the by-polls,” said the ECP.

Earlier in the day, the ECP reserved its verdict in the case. A five-member ECP bench — led by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja and including Nisar Ahmed Durrani, Shah Muhammad Jatoi, Babar Hassan Bharwana, and retired Justice Ikram ullah Khan — heard the plea.

Yesterday, PTI candidate Shabbir Awan's plea for a recount of votes had been rejected by the returning officer (RO) of the constituency, but on the same day, the LHC Rawalpindi bench ordered the ECP to stop the issuance of results and resolve the matter first.

PTI candidate Shabbir Awan filed an application with the ECP seeking a recount of votes for the constituency claiming rigging.

“The petitioner could not prove rigging [...] he also failed to prove the need to recount votes,” the ECP officials said today, while announcing the verdict in the case.

It is pertinent to mention here that PML-N candidate Raja Sagheer Ahmed emerged victorious from the constituency by a thin margin of 49 votes in the Punjab by-polls held on July 17, as per unofficial results.

PML-N's Ahmed had won the seat with 68,906 votes, whereas PTI’s Awan managed to bag 68,857 votes.

Following the narrow margin of defeat, the PTI candidate decided to challenge the results and filed an application for a recount of votes in the constituency.

During the Punjab by-polls on July 17, PTI won at least 15 out of 20 constituencies, while PML-N only clinched victory in four. An independent candidate also managed to get one seat.