‘PML-N has no right to raise a hue and cry about NA-249 election results,’ Saeed Ghani

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Saeed Ghani on Sunday lashed out at Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) for accusing the former of rigging in NA-249 by-election.

According to the details, while addressing a news conference today, Saeed Ghani said that the PML-N lost the NA-249 by-election owing to its mismanagement and overconfidence.

He said that video clips were doing the rounds on the internet in which a PPP polling agent can be seen being stopped by a Rangers official, who finds out the agent is carrying some money. Saeed Ghani said that PML-N leaders were stimulating the video and were claiming it was proof that the PPP had bought the NA-249 victory through its polling agents.

Saeed Ghani said that the PML-N had no right to raise a hue and cry about the election results, adding that it was strange that no one bothered to raise their voices when the PPP candidate was trailing behind Miftah Ismail.

It should be noted that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Saturday ordered withholding the results of the NA-249 by-poll, accepting PML-N candidate Miftah Ismail’s application for a recount.

The hearing on the plea filed by the PML-N leader, who came in second place with 15,473 votes losing to PPP’s Qadir Khan Mandokhel by a slim margin of just 683 votes, will be held on the 4th of May.

Miftah had submitted a recount application to the returning officer on the same day the provisional results were announced. However, it was dismissed by the returning officer on Saturday.
“Miftah Ismail Ahmed has now submitted an application under Section 95(6) of the Elections Act, 2017 before the commission wherein he has requested for a complete recount of the entire constituency,” the ECP order read.

“The petitioner has further pointed out that there is a difference in the total votes recorded in Form-45 and Form-47. The petitioner has also applied to the forensic audit of Form-45 with WhatsApp/RTS on April 30,” it added.