LAHORE, May 17: The returning officer of NA-122 and PP-147 on Friday dismissed applications of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan and Shoaib Siddiqui seeking recounting of votes in both constituencies.

Khan and Siddique had lost their election against Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and Bilal Yasin of the PML-N, respectively.

Dismissing the applications, the RO directed the applicants to approach the election tribunal for desired relief.

The applicants, through their counsel, alleged massive rigging in their constituencies at the hands of PML-N candidates.

Meanwhile, the Lahore High Court on Friday stopped recounting of votes in NA-137, Nankana Sahib, after suspending an order of the Election Commission of Pakistan.

The court passed this order on a petition moved by Rai Mansab Ali Khan of the PML-N, who won the May 11 general election from the National Assembly constituency.

An independent candidate, Ijaz Ahmad Shah, got the orders of votes recounting from the ECP.

The petitioner through his counsel pleaded that the ECP had no jurisdiction to order recounting of votes as the election tribunal was the appropriate forum to seek such relief. He prayed to the court to set aside the order of the ECP.

The court suspended the impugned order and sought a reply from the ECP by May 21.

The court sought a reply from the ECP also on a petition of Muhammad Shah Khagga of the PML-Q, who sought recounting of votes in NA-164, Pakpattan. Khagga had lost his election against Sardar Mansab Ali Dogar of the PML-N.

The petitioner’s counsel argued that more than 6,000 votes were rejected for being invalid by the presiding officers of different polling stations in the constituency. He said the difference of votes between the petitioner and the respondent was only 2,298. He alleged that the votes rejected were cast in favour of the petitioner. Therefore, he requested the court to order recounting of the votes in the constituency.

The returning officer and the ECP had already dismissed his application for the vote recount. The court issued a notice to the ECP for May 20.