NA-249 recount to open door for scrutiny of many seats: Bilawal

PPP chairman says many candidates with low winning margin were not given chance for recount in 2018 elections

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said on Tuesday that Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) order to hold recounting in NA-249 constituency will lead to scrutiny of many seats that had narrow winning margins.

“PPP welcomes new precedent set by allowing consistency [constituency] wide recount without specific ps [polling stations] complaints. Many seats from 2018 fall within 5% threshold & candidates have not been given this chance,” he wrote in a tweet from his official handle.

PPP welcomes new precedent set by allowing consistency wide recount without specific ps complaints. Many seats from 2018 fall within 5% threshold & candidates have not been given this chance. Once ECP order is out PPP will consider going to ECP for recounts in all such seats.

— BilawalBhuttoZardari (@BBhuttoZardari) May 4, 2021

Earlier today, the ECP accepted Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Miftah Ismail's plea and ordered recounting in the recently-held by-poll in Karachi’s NA-249.

Candidates have been asked to reach the office of the returning officer (RO) on May 6 for the re-count.

Bilawal reacting to the decision said his party will consider challenging results of all constituencies with low winning margin.

PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif welcomed the move and said the "narrow difference in votes necessitated this in the interest of transparency".

"Credibility of vote is a sure foundation of democracy.

Happy to learn that PMLN's demand for a vote recount in NA-249 has been accepted. The narrow difference in votes of the top contestants necessitated this in the interest of transparency. Credibility of vote is a sure foundation of democracy.

— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) May 4, 2021

ECP had ordered withholding the results of the NA-249 by-poll on Miftah Ismail’s application, who lost the election to PPP candidate Qadir Khan Mandokhel on April 29 by only 683 votes.