Unhappy PPP accepts ECP decision on NA-249 vote recount

Published May 6, 2021
In this file photo, Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani addresses the media. — DawnNewsTV/File
In this file photo, Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani addresses the media. — DawnNewsTV/File

KARACHI: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Wednesday grudgingly accepted the Election Commission of Pakistan’s decision ordering a recount of the votes polled in the recently held by-election in the NA-249 constituency on a request of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

The gesture and concerns came from the PPP leadership which, minutes after the ECP decision on Tuesday, engaged itself in an indirect spate of words with the PML-N. The fresh development has once again brought the two key opposition parties against each other. They have been on a path of tit-for-tat accusations since the emergence of their differences under the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) alliance.

“The request forwarded by Miftah Ismail [PML-N candidate and former federal finance minister] here at RO office had not all those reservations, concerns and prays which they filed to Election Commission in Islamabad,” said the Sindh Education Minister and PPP Karachi division president, Saeed Ghani, at a press conference in Sindh Assembly’s Committee Room.

“Then the ECP came up with one decision after another. Here [in Karachi] we witnessed some other kind of reaction from the ECP based on the rules and regulations and then the same ECP allowed recounting of votes polled while taking up the case in Islamabad. Being a democratic party, we welcome the ECP decision but the circumstances suggest things are not that simple. There is something behind all this exercise.”

‘There is something behind all this exercise’

He said the returning officer had rejected Mr Ismail’s request on May 1 citing that the PML-N had not mentioned any polling stations where it had found any rigging or violation of the defined rules.

“Then the consolidation was decided and our party members with the leaders were there at the set time, but there was no one from the ECP and the PML-N,” he said. “Then suddenly we came to know about the ECP Islamabad decision for a recount. We believe there are some forces behind this decision which first stopped the process of consolidation and then issued orders for a recount without any significant evidence.”

Only on Tuesday, the ECP ordered recounting of votes polled in the recently held by-election in NA-249 igniting a war of words between the PPP and the PML-N as one hailed the decision and the other assailed it.

The exercise of a recount of votes to be carried out on May 6 (today) was ordered by a four-member bench of the ECP headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja on a petition filed by PML-N candidate Dr Miftah Ismail. The commission had directed leaders of all political parties that had contested the by-election to reach the office of the returning officer at 9am on Thursday for a vote recount.

However, it seems quite clear that whatever the results of the recount might be, the fresh by-election is becoming another source of widening the gulf between the two parties.

“After winning the by-election, we were accused of being backed by the selectors,” said Mr Ghani. “In response, we would like to pose a counter-question to the accusers that whether or not selectors had backed their recent by-election wins in Daska, Wazirabad and Nowshehra.”

Published in Dawn, May 6th, 2021

Opinion

Editorial

Spread of hate
Updated 18 Jun, 2025

Spread of hate

HATE speech is not confined to words; in fact, there is a causal link between hateful rhetoric and real-world...
Big challenges
18 Jun, 2025

Big challenges

BALOCHISTAN’S Rs1.028tr budget, featuring a public development investment of Rs245bn and provincial surplus of...
Rampant disinformation
Updated 18 Jun, 2025

Rampant disinformation

WITH the arrival and proliferation of digital media, the creation of information is now a decentralised function,...
Window dressing
Updated 17 Jun, 2025

Window dressing

Meanwhile, the provinces lack the resources and expertise to implement adaptation measures effectively.
No revenue effort
17 Jun, 2025

No revenue effort

WITH the ruling PML-N’s next budget unfolding large infrastructure schemes, and expenditure focusing on service...
Pomp and circumstance
17 Jun, 2025

Pomp and circumstance

THE sight of columns of tanks rolling down a boulevard, accompanied by troops goose-stepping in lockstep, was a...