Total of 33 out of 38 votes was cast in the Balochistan assembly during the presidential election on Saturday. All 33 votes were polled in favour of General Pervez Musharraf while no vote was cast for the lawyer's representative, former Justice Wajihuddin Ahmad.
The Presiding Officer for Presidential polls, Chief Justice Balochistan High Court, Justice Amanullah Yasinzai said this while announcing the unofficial results at the provincial assembly here today. The polling started at 1025 pm and continued till 3pm. The Provincial Minister, Abdul Ghafoor Lehri was first to cast a vote while the Provincial Minister, Parveen Magsi, cast last vote.
Out of the 38 eligible voters in a house of 65, 33 exercised their voting rights. No vote was rejected. Participating MPAs form different parties include 24 from the ruling Muslim League, 4 from JWP, 3 from BNP- Awami and 2 from MMA.
23 MMA members had resigned from the membership of the House as per the APDM decision. Two BNP MPAs had resigned to protest the killing of Nawab Akbar Bugti while Supreme Court unseated another two.
The Speaker, Jamal Shah Kakar, who belongs to MMA, 2 PP members, former provincial minister Bakhtiar Domki and Balaach Marri did not cast their votes till 3pm. The Presiding Officer/Chief Justice has directed that official results would be announced after the Supreme Court (SC) decision.
Replying to a question Yasinzai said that the Polling Agent of Justice Wajihuddin Ahmad had requested not to count vote, which was turned down as the SC, has stopped only the notification of official results. Further he informed to the press that Polls were held in a transparent and peaceful atmosphere and the ballot have been sealed under his supervision.