Islamabad: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) accepted Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Miftah Ismail’s request for vote recount in the NA-249 Karachi by-elections.

According to details, a four member commission of the top electoral body headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja heard the plea.

During proceedings, PML-N’s lawyer Salman Akram Raja in said that a large number of Form 45 were not duly signed by the presiding officers, while agents of PML-N were also not given Form 46.

“PML-N will file a separate plea seeking re-polling in NA-249,” Akram Raja said to which Pakistan People’s Party’s Counsel Latif Khosa opposed the re-polling in the constituency.

ECP accepts Miftah Ismail's request for recount of votes cast

On May 01, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) accepted the request of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Miftah Ismail for a recount of votes after the April 29 by-election in Karachi's NA-249 constituency.

The PML-N leader had written a letter to the chief election commissioner seeking a vote recount in the Karachi’s constituency, where the elections were held on April 29.

He pointed out discrepancies in Form-45 and Form-47, calling for recounting of ballots.

"We did not receive results from more than 30 polling stations. We have serious concerns about the behavior of some presiding officers," Ismail wrote, adding that many Form 45s were not signed.

Earlier in the day, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) turned down pleas of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI)’s Amjad Afridi and PML-N’s Miftah Ismail seeking recounting of votes cast in T NA-249.

With unofficial results showing a close contest between PML-N and PPP, the latter secured victory in the NA-249 by-election held on April 29.

PPP's Abdul Qadir Mandokhel secured 16,156 votes, followed by PML-N's Miftah Ismail who secured 15,473, the unofficial results revealed.

PML-N, while complaining of rigging, said that it would approach ECP to challenge results. The PML-N Vice President, Maryam Nawaz After also claimed that the election had been "stolen" from her party.