ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court disposed of Federal Minister for Privatization and PTI candidate, MNA Muhammad Mian Soomro’s appeal on recounting of votes. A three-judge bench, headed by Justice Umar Ata Bandial, on Friday, heard Soomro’s appeal against the verdict of Sukkur Election Tribunal.

The bench noted that the votes’ recounting has been completed and the minister is declared winner. However, his counsel contended that during the recount many bags were not opened. Upon that, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah asked the lawyer that when his client has been declared winner then why he still has objection.

The Federal Minister for Privatization had won Jacobabad’s NA-196 constituency following recounting of votes. He bagged 83,083 votes, while PPP’s Aijaz Jakhrani bagged 79,187 votes in recounting from 441 polling stations. In recounting 3,117 votes of Soomro and 2,612 votes of Jakhrani were rejected.

The ballot papers and polling record of 31 polling stations were missing and could not be recounted. Sukkur’s election tribunal had ordered recounting of votes after rival candidate Aijaz Jakhrani of PPP challenged the victory of PTI’s Soomro in the 2018 general elections.

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. The representatives of the PTI candidate in recounting had alleged that vote bags and envelopes were broken and other election material was missing. “The election tribunal’s order has been verbal and no written order has been issued yet,” they said.

On January 10, an election tribunal had dismissed a petition filed by Soomro seeking to stop the recount. The tribunal directed the PTI MNA to approach the Supreme Court against its verdict. The tribunal directed the ECP to implement its decision within a week and furnish a compliance report.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022