TOBA TEK SINGH: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf candidate Sonia Ali Raza boycotted the recount of ballot papers of Pirmahal PP-123 on Saturday, which began 25 days ago on the orders of the Supreme Court on her petition against the win of PML-N nominee Pir Qutab Ali Baba.

Ms Raza said she had won with 13 votes margin on Friday after the recount of all polling stations (except for the recount of 21 polling stations which had previously been done on the Lahore High Court orders in which she was declared defeated).

She moved the LHC on Saturday seeking action against Returning Officer Shahwar Amin Wahga for allegedly keeping her in habeas corpus for one hour in his office on Friday where she went to protest the inclusion of 12 votes in polling station No 123’s bag which had no previous record. She said when she entered the RO office, he directed the police to arrest her. She says she was released on the intervention of some officials.

Mr Baba, however, rejected his rival’s claim and said the Supreme Court ordered the recount of all polling stations but Ms Raza feared her defeat and for that reason she tried to stop the recount.

He said Ms Raza with her 150 accomplices broke into RO’s office to restrain him from recounting the ballot papers of 21 polling stations and when he insisted on continuing the recount, she and her accomplices used abusive language against the RO.

He said when the recount was stopped on Friday, Ms Raza had the lead of just eight votes . He said the RO has informed him and his rival candidate that the recount of remaining 21 polling stations would resume on Monday.

On July 25, Ms Raza was declared winner with the lead of 70 votes, but in the recount Mr Baba was declared winner with a margin of 17 votes.

Published in Dawn, December 2nd, 2018