December 29, 2005	Thursday	Ziqa’ad 26, 1426

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FAISALABAD, Dec 28: The seat of naib nazim for the City District was declared vacant by the returning officers due to ‘law and order problem in the house’ on Wednesday.

The process of polling and counting continued for over seven hours amid pandemonium and chaos

When the DRO started counting in the first round, PML-backed Mian Amjad Yaseen could get 197 votes against 167 of ARD’s Sh Yousuf. As none of the candidate could get required 50 per cent plus one vote, the second round of the counting was ordered by the RO.

In the meantime, members from all benches, as four candidates were in run, started trading allegations and abuses. The situation deteriorated when supporters of a candidate forced members from other benches to join their group.

The RO had to call police to restore order. The police presence infuriated the 499-member house. Civil Lines SHO Raja Muhammad Abbas and Haroon Yaseen, brother of PML candidate Amjad Yaseen, had a scuffle which prompted police to call more force.

In run-off elections after about three hours of pandemonium, Amjad Yaseen bagged 204 votes while Sheikh Muhammad Yousaf’s 177. Remaining members of the house refused to cast their votes in favour of any candidate as they remained seated.

The situation went out of the control for the police and returning officer when third round of the counting was ordered. Sheikh Yousaf’s supporters gathered in front of the returning officer and started shouting slogans, accusing him of taking sides. They also claimed that the police officials present in the house were threatening their members with dire consequences and forcing them to vote in favour of Amjad Yaseen.

Some female members occupied seats reserved for the returning officer and his staff. When the returning officer sought more help, DPO Muhammad Amin Wains and DCO Athar Hussain Sial along with a heavy police contingent entered the house.

Yousuf’s supporters were of the view that there was no provision in the law to continue the run-off elections and the returning officer should declared the seat vacant and give schedule for some other day. On the other hand, Amjad Yaseen supporters forced the RO to go for another round of run-off elections.

In the meantime, Federal Textile Minister Mushtaq Ali Cheema along with his brother, PML City President and former city tehsil nazim, Mumtaz Ali Cheema and a number of ruling PML activists stormed into the house and rushed towards the chair in support of the ruling party nominee.

Similarly, PML-N MNA Raja Nadir Pervaiz along with his followers also entered the house and started chanting slogans in favour of Sheikh Yousaf.

Both the opposition MNA and the ruling party federal minister exchanged hot words with police officials when they forced them to leave the house.

The RO who is additional district and sessions judge contacted District and Sessions Judge Abdul Waheed Khan who also reached the house and held a dialogue with the returning officer, police and administration.

At about 7:30pm, the returning officer announced another round of counting to complete the election process. But the supporters of Sheikh Yousaf refused to continue the process.

Finally, the RO declared the seat as vacant.

Meanwhile, ruling party’s Nabeel Mumtaz Nabi and Shaheer Dawood were elected Samundri and Tandlianwala town naib nazims, respectively.

Zulfiqar Sheikh of the PML-N and Shahbaz Kharal of the ARD bagged Jinnah and Jaranwala towns, respectively.

Sheikh Sajjad and Raja Mannan Ahmed of the ruling party were winners in Madina and Iqbal towns, respectively.

PML’s Nadeem Aftab Sandhu and Mian Akram have already been elected unopposed in Lyallpur and Chak Jhumra towns.

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