Rigging allegations: Recount of votes ordered in Tharparkar

HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad Election Tribunal has ordered the recount of votes and verification of thumb impressions in the NA-229 constituency in Tharparkar. Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had secured a landmark victory in the constituency. Retired judge Muhammad Ashfaq Baloch ordered the recount of votes at 162 polling stations and verification of thumb verifications at 68. PPP leader Faqie Sher Muhammad Bilalani won the seat against the influential Arbab family candidate, Arbab Togachi Fawad, with a margin of around 2,000 votes. Bilalani bagged as many as 88,218 votes against Fawad’s 86,097. The district, which has two NA and four PS seats, has remained a stronghold of the Arbabs.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 18^th, 2014.