Pakistan orders election rerun at dozens of polling stations amid rigging claims, international concerns

KARACHI: Pakistan’s election regulatory on Saturday ordered repeat voting at 43 polling stations in three national and provincial constituencies due to incidents of snatching and destruction of polling materials during the general elections held on Thursday.
Amid a backdrop of security challenges and political controversies, the 2024 Pakistani polls experienced significant delays in vote counting, igniting suspicions of electoral manipulation and prompting protests from various political factions who alleged that their mandate had been compromised.
The international community, represented by the United States, United Kingdom and European Union, voiced concerns over the integrity of the electoral process and advocated for a comprehensive investigation into the allegations of rigging.
“According to the Election Commission’s spokesperson, re-polling has been ordered at 26 polling stations in the NA-88 Khushab-2 constituency due to the burning of polling materials by a mob at the Returning Officer’s office,” the ECP said in a statement. “Similarly, re-polling has been ordered at two polling stations in PS-18 Ghotki-1 Sindh, where polling materials were snatched by unidentified individuals.”
“In another incident,” the statement added, “the Commission has ordered re-polling at 15 polling stations in PK-90 Kohat-1 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where polling materials were destroyed by terrorists.”
Furthermore, the ECP directed its regional office in Sindh to conduct an inquiry into reported acts of vandalism at a polling station in NA-242 Karachi and to submit a detailed report within a three-day timeframe.