Pakistan Legal Practitioners and Bar Councils Rules, 1976 — section 52

52. (1) The Returning Officer shall after giving notice to the contesting candidates as to the day, time and place, for the counting of votes, open the sealed packets received from the Polling Officers in the presence of such of the contesting candidates or their agents as may be present 97{and shall count and credit the votes province-wise, 98[and the ICT] in the manner hereinafter provided}.

(2)The Returning Officer shall

(a)arrange the ballot papers in parcels according to the first preference recorded for each candidate;

(b)count and record the number of ballot papers in each parcel and check the total number thereof; and

(c)credit to each candidate the value of the ballot papers on which preference for him has been recorded.