ECP Restores Victory Notification of Ali Hasan Zehri in PB-21 Hub; IHC Suspends Recount Order

Islamabad: The Election Commission of Pakistan has restored the victory notification of Ali Hasan Zehri for the PB-21 Hub constituency, according to an official notification issued from Islamabad.

As per the notification, in the case titled Ali Hasan Zehri vs. Muhammad Saleh Bhutani dated February 25, 2026, and following the recount of votes cast at 39 polling stations by the Returning Officer, the earlier notification dated December 19, 2024, has been reinstated. Under the restored results, Ali Hasan Zehri has been officially declared the returned candidate from PB-21 Hub.

According to the election results, Zehri secured 23,974 votes, while his opponent Muhammad Saleh Bhutani obtained 17,403 votes. A total of 87,483 votes were cast in the constituency, of which 17,155 were rejected. The notification restoring Zehri’s membership was issued under the signature of Deputy Director Muhammad Asad Ali.

However, the case took a significant turn when the Islamabad High Court suspended the recount order for the 39 polling stations. Justice Inam Amin Minhas, hearing a petition filed by Saleh Bhutani, issued a stay order and sought responses from all parties within two weeks. The next hearing has been scheduled after Eid-ul-Fitr.

Following the court’s interim relief, the recount process and its legal implications will now be reviewed after Eid, adding further developments to the closely contested PB-21 Hub case.