ISLAMABAD: In a new twist to the controversy surrounding the recent by-election in NA-249 Karachi, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leaders have called for re-election in the constituency.
However, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) wanted recount of votes polled in the election.
In a tweet, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry demanded re-polling instead of recounting in NA-249. The minister said that re-polling should be held in NA-249 as voters’ turnout was very low in the election.
On the other hand, PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz said that if the results of NA-249 by-polls are transparent, then no party should have any problem in recounting. “There is difference of a few hundred votes while the rejected votes are more than the margin of victory. It is our legal and constitutional right to get the votes recounted,” she said.
Referring to the PML-N’s reservations, Fawad said that the PML-N is objecting now but they were not ready for electoral reforms.
He lauded the Election Commission Pakistan’s (ECP) move of withholding the results, saying that the ECP did a good job by issuing a restraining order.
Meanwhile, PPP leader and Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani has advised his party to demand re-election instead of recounting in NA-249. “I would advise my party to go for re-polling in NA-249 rather than a recount. There was no rigging in the election but mismanagement was recorded. All the parties, who are crying for rigging, have no evidence to submit with the ECP,” he said while speaking to media in Karachi.
“We have nothing to do as the elections were transparent. However, there was mismanagement in the elections, but there was no rigging at all. No matter how many parties are crying about the alleged fraud, they have no evidence to prove their claims,” he said.
He said that the PPP will go to the ECP on May 4 with all the documents and evidence will be placed before the ECP.
“I hope our voice will be heard in the ECP,” he said and added that there is a difference between allegations of fraud in Daska and NA-249 by-elections. “The firing in Daska was proved and the presiding officers had disappeared. No shooting took place in NA-249 and the presiding officer did not go missing,” he said.
