Islamabad: Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan has reinstated Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to conduct vote recount in three National Assembly (NA) constituencies.

Three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa and including Justices Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi delivered ruling.

Decision pertains to recount of votes in various polling stations in NA-154, NA-81 and NA-79. Case arose after Azhar Qayum Nahra of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz challenged Lahore High Court’s decision to suspend his victory notification from NA-81. Top court overturned LHC’s previous ruling and restored electoral watchdogs’s directive for recount. Justice Aqeel Abbasi dissented from 2 majority decision.

Recount request for constituencies of NA-154 (Lodhran), NA-81 (Gujranwala) and NA-79 (Gujranwala) had been filed with top court leading to this decision.