PESHAWAR, July 18: The PML(N) has demanded of the provincial government to announce a fresh date for the town council elections in Lakki Marwat and Sarai Naurang, where some of the Naib Nazimeen were allegedly barred from polling their votes on July 17.

Speaking at a news conference here at the Peshawar Press Club on Thursday, a leader of the PML(N) and former senator, Anwar Kamal Marwat, alleged that district Nazim Humayun Saifullah Khan had deprived 18 Nazimeen of Nawaz league of taking part in the elections.

He said that earlier the town municipal officer had fixed June 28, 2002, for the elections which were postponed owing to the illness of a Naib Nazim of Lakki Marwat. Later, July 17 was fixed for the polls, but the Naib Nazimeen supported by Nawaz league were not allowed in Lakki Marwat to cast their votes, he added.

Mr Marwat also said the elections at Sarai Naurang had been scheduled to be held in the afternoon, but the Nazim got them held at Lakki Marwat and did not inform six Nazimeen of the PML(N) about the change in the venue.

The district Nazim, he said, had got elected minority group in the both towns while the majority of voters was in opposition in Lakki Marwat and Sarai Naurang town councils.

PML(N) leader said: “We have held a meeting with the local bodies secretary and informed him about the rigging committed in the town councils elections.”

All the Nazimeen of Nawaz league were present on the occasion.