F.P. Report
TIMERGARA: The losing candidates of PPP, PML-N, PTI, ANP and JUI-F in the local government by election for tehsil council seat Shahikhel Talash on Saturday blamed the winning Jamaat-i-Islami for banning women of voting and utilizing government funds to rig the election.
They demanded of the election commission of Pakistan to take notice of the pre-poll rigging and declare the election as null and void. Speaking at a news conference at the Timergara press club, losing candidate Manzoor Ahmad of the PPP, Syed Inayat ur Rehman of the PML-N, Dilawar Khan of the ANP, Fazal Wahab Swati of the PTI and Hussam ud Din of the JUI-F alleged the JI minister for finance Muzafar Syed and Timergara tehsil nazim Riaz Muhammad had interfered in the by election held on Dec, 21.
They said that women were also barred from voting. The losing candidates termed the election rigged and said that plastic pipes, water pumps, cement bags and cash were distributed in voters before the polls’ day.
They said the KP minister for finance also promised scores of the voters to recruit them in government departments. The JI candidate Gul Hakim Khan had got over 1300 votes and the election commission of Pakistan declared him successful as tehsil councilor from Shahikhel Talash ward. The PPP candidate got over 900 votes and remained the runner up. The losing candidates alleged that government machinery and resources were spent by the ruling JI which was a clear violation of election rules.
“The KP minister for finance Muzafar Syed announced development projects of RS 300 million during the past two weeks,” Syed Inayat ur Rehman of the PML-N said, adding that several schemes were initiated in the last one month. He said the JI did nothing during the last four and a half years but millions of funds were utilized in one month ahead of the by election. The losing candidates also blamed the ruling JI for barring women of their right to vote. Only two women polled votes in this election. They demanded of the ECP to declare the election in Shahikhel Talash as null and void and take notice of the minister involvement in the LG by elections.
Responding to the allegations the Timergara tehsil nazim Riaz Muhammad told on contact that the allegations leveled against the JI and him were totally baseless. He said no one in the area was barred of voting while the election commission had established separate polling stations and booths for them. He said the losing candidates lacked sportsman spirit and they should have accepted their defeat with open heart.
