SHIKARPUR: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has ordered re-polling on 21 polling stations of NA-202 (Shikarpur-I) constituency on May 5 after a Sukkur Election Tribunal report pointed out a large number of polled votes were unverifiable, polled twice or bogus CNICs were used to cast votes.

PML-N candidate Dr Ibrahim Jatoi had won the NA-202 in the May 11, 2013 general elections and his rival PPP’s Aftab Shaban Mirani had challenged the win in the tribunal, which tasked the National Database Registration Authority (NADRA) with authenticating thumbprints of voters. Mr Mirani accused his rival of rigging his way to victory on 21 polling stations.

The Nadra report submitted to the tribunal said that 2,320 votes were found to be genuine, 9,600 were unverifiable and unidentifiable, 1,098 votes were cast twice and bogus CNICs were used to cast 2,283 votes, while CNICs of 113 votes did not match the thumbprints.

The report revealed that at polling station No.209 in Fareed Jatoi village, a voter by the name of Hadi Bux Jatoi having CNIC No.43302-2297441-1 had singlehandedly polled a total of 310 bogus votes.

Mr Mirani had secured 55,381 votes and Dr Jatoi had polled 56,633 votes to win the seat by only 1,252 votes, according to results declared by the ECP.

Mr Jatoi had challenged the tribunal’s decision in the Sindh High Court which issued a stay order over the matter but it was later vacated by Mr Mirani’s lawyer, Farooque H. Naik and the ECP was asked to go ahead with the re-polling.