IHC annuls ECP order on vote recount in six UCs

Reasons for annulling the order of electoral watchdog will be given in detailed judgement

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday annulled the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) order on the recount of votes in six union councils (UCs) of Karachi.

IHC Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan pronounced the decision on Jamaat-e-Islami's (JI) request to stop the recount, stating that the reasons for annulling the order of the electoral watchdog will be given in a detailed decision.

JI lawyers Qaiser Imam and Hasan Javed Shorosh, and ECP officials and lawyers of other candidates appeared in the court. On March 22, the ECP's decision was challenged in an application by JI Karachi's Naib Ameer, Raja Arif Sultan. Following the petition, the IHC had stayed the implementation of the ECP's orders regarding the recount in the six union councils of Karachi until the next hearing.

The court had then issued notices to candidates of Karachi's six union councils (UCs) on which it had suspended a recount of votes.

The court had observed that candidates from the six UCs must be heard before the decision regarding re-polling is made. In addition, the court had extended the suspension on the recount till the next hearing on April 19.

It said that ECP should have conducted re-polling on the six union councils if there was any evidence of rigging.

JI had claimed post-poll rigging and challenged the recount in five UCs of the west district and one in the east. The court observed that it was the responsibility of the ECP to ensure fair and transparent elections.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 20^th, 2023.