Recount of 22 Disputed Polling Stations in NA-251: Returning Officer Granted Two-Day Extension

Quetta: The Election Tribunal-III of Balochistan held a hearing on May 29, 2025, regarding election petition No. 33/2024 related to NA-251 (Sherani, Zhob, and Killa Saifullah constituency). The petition was filed by Khushhaal Khan, son of Usman Khan, and was heard by Justice Muhammad Aamir Nawaz Rana.
During the hearing, petitioner’s counsel Shams ur Rehman Kakar, Assistant Director Law of the Election Commission Shehzad Aslam, Senior Personal Assistant Naseer Ahmed, the Returning Officer of NA-251, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Zhob, and the counsels for respondent No. 2, Adnan Ijaz Sheikh and Ehsan Khan Dotani, appeared before the tribunal.
Respondents numbered 3 to 17 had already been declared ex-parte by the court on May 3, 2024.
Earlier, on May 22, 2024, the tribunal had directed the Returning Officer to conduct a recount of votes cast at 22 disputed polling stations within the constituency. During the May 29 hearing, the Returning Officer informed the court that recounting had been completed at 8 polling stations so far, and requested two additional days to complete the process.
With mutual consent from all parties, the court adjourned the case to June 4, 2025, and directed the Returning Officer to submit the complete recount report by that date.