Biggest turnout: Demonstration of public power, says CEC

CEC says repolling will take place in NA-250.

Almost six hours after voting ended, the Chief Election Commissioner Justice (Retd) Fakhruddin G Ebrahim appeared before the media to announce the first official results.

He announced the victory of Jamat-e-Islami's Samiul Haq in PK-95 who won against the Awami National Party's Hidayatullah in Lower Dir-II with a turnout of 30 per cent.

"The task was difficult but we did it."

Justice Ebrahim said that they had requested for control of law and order from the first day to guarantee free, fair and transparent elections.

"All authorities cooperated fully. We are thankful for what you (law enforcement) have done for us, not for us, but for the country."

The CEC commended the high voter turnout, saying there was about 60 per cent turnout.

"This is a demonstration of the power of the public."

Good governance

Declaring that the elections had been conducted, Justice Ebrahim said that the "ball was in your [government's] court".

"We demand from the elected government good governance, first law and order then good governance."

Karachi polling

With reports of rigging, and polling irregularities, Ebrahim said that there is only the NA-250 constituency where they faced difficulty and confirmed will face re-polling.

"When we went there, we discovered the staff had been hijacked and had to be recovered and the material had been lost."

He explained that while polling started late, they extended the deadline. Then they had to stop elections in 40 polling stations. Hence the elections had to be put in pending.

"This is the only constituency where polling had to be stopped."

The CEC said that they will ascertain the reasons for surrounding the incidents in NA-250. He, however made no mention of the reports of rigging in other Karachi based constituencies.

He though defended himself saying there had not been many elections for them to have an experience of holding elections.