SARGODHA, Feb 20: On the orders of the retuning officer (RO), a recount of the ballot papers of NA-65 was in process till the filing of the report (1am).

Earlier, according to unofficial results, Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) candidate Ghias Ahmed Mela was declared winner with 53,387 followed by Pakistan People’s Party’s Mahr Khaliq Lak who got 53,176. The recount was ordered after Mr Lak approached the DRO pleading recounting of rejected ballot papers. Dawn learnt the presiding officer of a Bhabhra polling station handed the result sheet to the agent of Mr Lak showing him winner by 15 votes. But the sheet submitted to DRO showed the PPP nominee had lost polling there. It alarmed the DRO and he called all candidates and started recounting of all ballot papers. RO Sanaullah Khan told foreign observers that a statically anomaly was detected at the time of re-checking of rejected votes.—Correspondent