Ecp Restores Ali Hassan Zehri'S Victory In Balochistan Assembly

In a significant and controversial development, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) reinstated Ali Hassan Zehri of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) as the winner of the Balochistan Assembly constituency PB-21 (Hub) on February 26, 2026, just one day after ordering a recount of votes at 39 polling stations. This decision comes after a tumultuous legal battle, where Zehri, who was initially declared third with 14,120 votes, contested the results against Muhammad Saleh Bhootani of the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), who had received 30,910 votes. The recount revealed a dramatic shift in the vote tally, with Bhootani's votes dropping to 17,403 while Zehri's surged to 23,974, marking a net gain of 9,854 votes. The ECP's notification stated, "Pursuant to the order dated February 25, 2026... the notification dated December 19, 2024, is hereby restored, whereby Ali Hassan Zehri was declared the returned candidate from PB-21 Hub." This sudden alteration in results has raised serious questions about the integrity of the electoral process, especially in light of allegations of electoral fraud, including the arrest of five individuals found with fake ballots in the strong room where electoral records were stored.