September 10, 2003	Wednesday	Rajab 12, 1424

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BAHAWALPUR, Sept 9: District Nazim Tariq Cheema is envisaging hard times ahead even after his nominee Malik Zahid Channar’s unofficial victory for the tehsil Naib Nazim’s slot.

Zahid Channar had been fielded for the slot by the district Nazim and the Bahawalpur Ittehad.

According to reports, Mr Channar got 451 votes against 222 bagged by his main rival Sahibzada Munawar Abbasi of the ARD. His group had been expecting a landslide victory due to the participation of over 564 councillors in the local government convention arranged before the election.

However, Mr Channar could not get the expected number of votes and the results shocked the Nazim and the Bahawalpur Ittehad. They are said to be apprehending tough days ahead for the functioning of the tehsil council.

As 222 councillors have opposed the Nazim’s nominee, the latter is envisaging a fresh challenge and tough time for Tehsil Nazim Mian Najeeb Owaisi.

Of the 222 votes bagged by Mr Abbasi, the credit for the most goes to the PML-N and a faction of PPP.

PRESS CONFERENCE: District Nazim Tariq Cheema denied rigging allegations in the byelection.

At a press conference on Tuesday, the Nazim challenged the opposition by saying: “If they are alleging rigging in the election, they are welcome to try their candidate’s luck again.”

About the number of votes polled for his nominee Malik Zahid Channar, the district Nazim said, all the participants in the convention did not belong to his group.

However, he said, his candidate had been supported by an overwhelming majority of the councillors to whom he was thankful.

He claimed that his estimate about the number of votes turned true, and the results were “surprising.”

Mr Cheema said the political forces involved in the byelection and the councillors had reposed confidence in his leadership, and now he was in a better position to serve the people of the district.

He iterated that the results had brought no shock to the ruling party, but vowed to review the post-election scenario.

He said the tehsil Naib Nazim would be given a free hand to carry out development projects in Bahawalpur.