The Sindh High Court’s (SHC) Hyderabad Circuit on Tuesday ordered authorities to continue vote recount in NA-230 (Badin-II) but withhold the results until tomorrow (Aug 2), the next date for hearing the petition filed by Dr Fehmida Mirza against the vote recount.
The decision came on the petition filed by Mirza earlier in the day. Mirza bagged 96,875 votes to defeat her Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) rival Haji Rasool Bux Chandio by a margin of 860 votes. Chandio secured 6,105 votes. Subsequently, Chandio moved the Returning Officer (RO) for a recount, which began on Saturday. “Following a recount of votes polled at 13 polling stations, the margin of votes between Mirza and Chandio started to decrease,” according to the RO.
However, the recounting at the judicial complex in Badin had to stop abruptly on Sunday afternoon when Mirza allegedly raised objections and her representatives joined her protest. They walked out of the court prompting the RO to complain of Mirza’s attitude to the authorities in writing, seeking directives on a course of action.
Published in Daily Times, August 1st 2018.
