The Election Commission of Pakistan has ordered the recounting of votes in six union councils of Karachi, the 24NewsHD TV channel reported on Friday.  

The ECP in its detailed decision on the irregularity case in the Karachi local bodies elections observed that the fact-finding committee of the commission carefully reviewed the forms of Jamaat-e-Islami and the returning officer.

The ECP maintained that irregularities were found in Form-11 submitted by Returning Officer. 

In the forms submitted by Jamaat-e-Islami, the number of registered voters of the said polling stations is not listed, the Election Commission added. 

The number of votes in the forms submitted by the presiding and returning officers is inconsistent with the Jamaat-e-Islami data, it added. 

The ECP held that free, fair, and transparent elections are the constitutional responsibility of the election watchdog.

The ECP is responsible for conducting elections for the president, the senate, national and provincial assemblies, and local government. Thus, the prevention of irregularities in the electoral process is also the mandate of the election commission, it hinted. 

The commission further held that the petitioners sought a recount of votes in six UCs. 

The concerned Returning Officers will recount the votes in the presence of the district election commissioners and the parties. 

District Election Commissioners should count the votes in their presence and submit the report within three days, the ECP said adding that due to the suspension of UC 3 returning officer Zulfiqar Ali, the district returning officer will count the votes in his place. 

It is pertinent that the ECP reserved its decision in the Karachi local government (LG) elections case last week.