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• PPP candidate was declared winner just a day after recount ordered at 39 polling stations
• SC orders ECP to notify PNAP’s Khushal Khan Kakar as returned candidate
ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday once again suspended the victory notification of PPP’s Ali Hassan Zehri, who contested the Balochistan Assembly seat PB-21 (Hub) in the February 8, 2024, general elections.
The development comes a day after the electoral watchdog had declared Mr Zehri the winner of PB-21.
“Pursuant to the order passed by the Islamabad High Court, Islamabad, dated 26th February, 2026, whereby Mr. Ali Hassan Zehri was declared the returned candidate from PB-21 Hub, the notification is hereby suspended till further orders,” said a notification issued by the ECP on Friday.
Recounting saga
Initially, Balochistan Awami Party’s (BAP) Muhammad Saleh Bhootani, who had secured more than double the votes obtained by Zehri, was declared the winner in the constituency.
However, a recount at 39 polling stations, conducted two months after the February 8, 2024, general elections, resulted in Zehri being declared the winner.
In the original count, Zehri had not even declared the runner-up. The recount not only placed him at the top but also pushed Mr Bhootani down to third position. After the recount, the voter turnout percentage also changed from 55.15 per cent to 58.48pc.
Interestingly, the increase in the number of rejected votes exactly matched the decrease in the votes originally secured by BAP’s Bhootani.
Mr Bhootani’s votes were reduced from 30,910 to 17,403 — a difference of 13,507 votes.
Meanwhile, the number of rejected votes increased from 3,648 to 17,155 — also a rise of 13,507.
Mr Zehri was subsequently notified as the winner of PB-21 on December 19, 2024.
SC overturns ruling
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court of Pakistan overturned the November 24, 2025, ruling of the Election Tribunal in Balochistan and ordered the ECP to notify Khushal Khan Kakar of the Pakhtunkhwa National Awami Party (PNAP) as the returned candidate from Constituency NA-251 (Sherani-cum-Zhob-cum-Killa Saifullah) in the February 8, 2024, general elections.
A three-judge SC bench, headed by Justice Shahid Waheed and comprising Justice Naeem Akhter Afghan and Justice Shakeel Ahmad, heard a set of appeals filed by Khuskhal Khan Kakar and his opponent, Syed Samiullah of the JUI.
Earlier, Syed Samiullah had been declared the winning candidate from NA-251 in the general elections.
“The civil appeal is allowed and, resultantly, the November 24, 2025, judgement passed by Election Tribunal-III, Balochistan, Quetta is set aside,” stated a short order, adding that detailed reasons would be issued later.
While accepting the appeal of Khushal Khan Kakar, the court also set aside the notification declaring Syed Samiullah the returned candidate.
Earlier, on December 17, 2025, the ECP had suspended the re-polling scheduled for December 18 at 22 polling stations in NA-251 following an order of the Supreme Court.
The election tribunal had ordered re-polling at 22 polling stations on the grounds that Form-45 was missing from those stations.
Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2026
