October 15, 2002	Tuesday	Sha'aban 8, 1423

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QUETTA, Oct 14: The strength of Balochistan National Movement in the provincial assembly dropped to three when Syed Ehsan Shah of National Alliance was declared elected on PB-48, Kech-II, after recounting on Monday.

Earlier, BNM Secretary-General Dr Yasin Baloch was declared elected from the constituency with a margin of 467 votes.

Sources said that in the recounting, 424 votes polled in favour of Dr Yasin were found double stamped and rejected by the returning officer.

The number of members of National Alliance in the Balochistan Assembly has increased to five.

The BNM strongly reacted to the defeat of its candidate and rejected the returning officer’s decision.

Yasin Baloch, in a statement issued from Turbat, said that in the first counting no double stumped votes were recovered from the ballot boxes.

He said the BNM would observe a strike on Tuesday in Makran.

He alleged that when bags were brought for recounting of votes, the seals of the bags were found broken and the votes polled in his favour had been double stamped after the polling.

He said the BNM would not accept the decision and would protest over it.

He demanded action against the returning officer and suspension of the result.