LAHORE: A day after the PP-168 by-poll, the Returning Officer (RO) concerned on Friday ordered a vote recount in the constituency on an application filed by the defeated Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate, Rana Khalid Mehmood.
According to details, the PML-N candidate, in his application, argued that since rejected votes in the constituency were substantial in number, the notification declaring Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Malik Asad Khokhar as the winner should be halted.
It merits a mention here that as per unofficial and unconfirmed results, Khokhar had won the provincial assembly seat by securing 17,579 votes, followed by PML-N candidate Rana Khalid Mehmood, who could secure only 16,892 votes in Thursday’s by-poll.
PML-N stalwart and former minister for railways Khawaja Saad Rafique had vacated the seat of the provincial assembly after reclaiming his NA-131 seat won in a by-poll held on October 13. He had previously lost it to Prime Minister Imran Khan by a margin of fewer than 700 votes in the general elections.
On Thursday, a total of 11 candidates from different political parties and independents had vyed for the vacant provincial assembly seat with the actual contest being between the PTI and PML-N.
The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) was also backing the PML-N candidate in the constituency where the total number of voters is 126,912. Acknowledging its offer, PML-N MNA Pervaiz Malik had thanked the PPP leadership.
As many as 83 polling stations had been set up and Rangers deployed for the security during the polling process.