In the final vote count Rafique lost by a total of 608 votes. PHOTO: EXPRESS/FILE
The former minister of railways requested a recount of the rejected votes from the polling station he lost from in the constituency.
The returning officer Akhtar Bhangoo accepted the request after which the rejected votes from 242 ballot boxes were counted again.
The PTI supremo gained a further 50 votes while Rafique could only gain 70 votes over him.
The PML-N leader's votes did increase but not enough to defeat the former cricketer turned politician.
In the final vote count Rafique lost by a total of 608 votes.
Polls aftermath: RO rejects former PM Abbasi's recount petition
As the news broke the former federal minister called for a recount of all votes in the constituency which was later denied by Bhangoo.
The PML-N leader gave in the request for a recount of all votes in NA-131 on July 26.
این اے 131 میں ھماری ووٹوں کی ری کاؤنٹنگ کی درخواست مسترد کر دی گٸ ھے
— Khawaja Saad Rafique (@KhSaad_Rafique) July 28, 2018
جبکہ میرے نیچے جیتنے والے دونوں مسلم لیگی ایم پی اےز کی ری کاؤنٹنگ جاری ھے
مستردشدہ ووٹوں کی پڑتال کے بعد عمران کی لیڈ کم ھو کر 603 پر آ گٸ ھے
تھیلے کُھلے تو عمران کے پلے کچھ نہیں بچے گا
آر او کا فیصلہ غیر منصفانہ ھے
— Khawaja Saad Rafique (@KhSaad_Rafique) July 28, 2018
این اے 131 کے پولنگ بیگز غیر محفوظ ھیں
عمران اینڈ کمپنی نے این اے 131 کا الیکشن چوری کیا ھے
— Khawaja Saad Rafique (@KhSaad_Rafique) July 29, 2018
انشا اللّٰہ یہ چوری بے نقاب کر کے رھوں گا
Rafique then brought Imran into the firing line by claiming that "In 2013, I won this very same constituency by 40,000 votes, then he [Imran] made my life a living hell over it".
"He [Imran] himself said that any constituency will be opened for a recount and now when I've requested for it, his lawyer is vehemently opposing it," he said.
"Imran needs to stick to his word and he's stolen this constituency's mandate," he claimed.
"The PTI's politics is based on hyprocrisy, he lied about opening all constituencies for a recount," he claimed.
"He's started lying before taking oath of office, a person who stole the public's mandate will now be the country premier," he quipped.
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