PP-150 recount: ‘Several ballots without stamp or signature found’

A single dubious ballot could cast doubt on the credibility of an election, says PTI candidate.

LAHORE:

Several ballot papers missing the presiding officer’s stamp or signature have been discovered during the second day of recounting of votes for the by-election at PP-150, PTI candidate Mehr Wajid said on Tuesday.

Wajid was declared to have lost at the PP-150 seat by just 376 votes to Mian Marghoob of the PML-N in the August 22 by-election. He challenged the result in the courts, alleging irregularities at some polling stations. The Election Commission later ordered a recount.

Talking to reporters, Wajid said that a single dubious ballot could cast doubt on the credibility of an election. At PP-150, he said, several ballot papers lacking the stamp or signature of the presiding officer had been found during the recount.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the votes at 57 of the total 147 polling stations in the constituency had been recounted. There were some 214,000 votes cast in the by-poll.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 4^th, 2013.