Plot Gets Murkier In Pakistan, ECP Orders Re-Polling In Several Polling Stations

Imran Khan’s PTI claims that it won 154 seats, but dozens were taken away in alleged widespread vote rigging and manipulation

The plot has got more murkier in Pakistan after the announcement of election results. Incarerated former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed candidates have stunned psephologists by winning over 90 seats, though this is many short of the 170 needed for an overall majority.

Meanwhile, amid protests, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has ordered re-polling in specific polling stations of NA-88 (Khushab II), PS-18 (Ghotki I), and PK-90 (Kohat I) following alleged rigging on Feb 8.

The Dawn citing ECP spokesperson said that re-polling has been ordered at 26 polling stations of NA-88 after a mob reportedly set fire to polling material at the returning officer’s office. The re-polling is scheduled for February 15.

Re-polling in PS-18, attributed to reported confiscation of polling material by unidentified people, is also slated for Feb 15.

Likewise, re-polling will be conducted at 25 polling stations of PK-90 due to damage caused to polling material by terrorists, the ECP said.

Furthermore, the ECP has sought a report from the district regional officer within three days regarding alleged vandalism at one polling station of NA-242 (Karachi Keamari-I).

Imran Khan’s political party, according to The Guardian, has declared it intends to form the next government after claiming a shock election victory, despite efforts by the opposition to take power in a backroom coalition deal.

However, the report quoted PTI party chairman, Gohar Ali Khan as conceding that PTI faced “a tough situation”. While, officially, PTI candidates won more than 90 seats, this is many short of the 170 needed for an overall majority. The party says the true number won by PTI is 154 seats, but dozens were taken away in alleged widespread vote rigging and manipulation, which it is now contesting with the election commission.

On Saturday night the Pakistani newspaper Dawn said that PTI had won 93 of 264 seats being contested, 20 more than its nearest rivals Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on 73. Eight seats were still undeclared, The Guardian noted.

Ali Khan described PTI’s efforts to form a government as “a race against time” as Pakistan’s own so-called game of thrones had begun: the two other main parties, PML-N and Pakistan People’s party (PPP), met on Friday night and again on Saturday to discuss forming a coalition with other smaller parties, to gain a majority to keep PTI out of power.