KARACHI, Sept 2: The Election Commission has sent all requests it had received so far for recounting of votes to the concerned election tribunals, which would dispose them of as election petitions.

This was stated by EC officials in Karachi when asked about the fate of the applications submitted with it in this regard.

The applications pertained to the local government elections held last month in two phases.

In Karachi district, where election was held in 178 UCs in the first phase, more than 1,000 complaints were filed and the complainants, citing various discrepancies, demanded justice. As a whole, re-polling for more than two dozen panels of nazim and 600 seats of councillors of different categories was demanded.

In the second phase of the election on August 25, 519 UCs went to the poll and more than 2,000 complaints were received by the EC. About 500 of the applicants demanded recounting or re-polling.

Since most of the complaints reached the Election Commission after the official results of both the phases had already been notified through gazette notification on August 23 and August 30, respectively, no authority other than the Election Tribunal could provide relief to the aggrieved parties, according to the EC sources who cited the relevant rules.

It has been gathered that the EC has stopped announcement of official results of 52 seats in 16 UCs of Karachi district where election was held in the first phase. The EC had reportedly received applications for re-polling/recounting involving a total of 572 seats in 589 UCs in Sindh.

The Chief Election Commissioner has already notified setting up of nine election tribunals to consider and dispose of petitions pertaining to the local body election 2005:

Following is the composition of the tribunals and their jurisdictions:

Additional district & sessions judge-I Karachi West for all UCs in Lyari and Saddar towns.

Additional district and sessions judge-II Karachi West for all UCs in Jamshed and Gulshan-i-Iqbal towns.

Additional district & sessions judge-I Karachi Central for all UCs in Korangi and Malir towns.

Additional district & sessions judge-II Karachi Central for all UCs in Bin Qasim and Gadap towns.

Additional district & sessions judge-I Karachi South for all UCs in New Karachi and Gulberg towns.

Additional district & sessions judge-IV Karachi South for all UCs in Shah Faisal and Landhi towns.

Additional district & sessions judge-I Karachi East for all UCs in Keamari and Site towns.

Additional district & sessions judge-I Malir for all UCs in Baldia and Orangi towns.

Additional district & session’s judge-II, Malir for all UCs in Liaquatabad and North Nazimabad towns.

Hyderabad: Additional district & sessions judge Sehwan for all UCs in taluka Hyderabad and Latifabad and senior civil judge Kotri for all UCs in taluka Qasimabad and Hyderabad (rural).

Jamshoro: Additional district & sessions judge-I Hyderabad for all UCs in taluka Kotri and Thano Bola Khan while additional district & sessions judge-III Hyderabad for all UCs in taulka Sehwan Sharif and Manjhand.

Tando Mohammad Khan: Additional district and sessions judge-V Hyderabad for all UCs in taluka Tando Mohammad Khan and Tando Ghulam Hyder while senior civil judge-I Hyderabad for all UCs in Taluka Bulri Shah Karim.

Tando Allahyar: Additional district and sessions judge-VI Hyderabad for all UCs in taluka Tando Allahyar, Chambar and Jhando Mari.