PESHAWAR, Oct 6: Some opposition members of the NWFP assembly were provided with an overnight stay at a local five star hotel near the provincial assembly building to ensure their participation in presidential polls on Saturday, it is learnt.

Sources at the hotel told Dawn that 13 MPAs belonging to the PPP (Sherpao) stayed back at the hotel on Friday night.

The MPAs adopted the strategy to stay back at the hotel after lawyers threatened to besiege the provincial assembly building and announced that they would not allow any member to cast his/her vote, an MPA said.

Lawyers had planned to gather at the Peshawar High Court and proceed to the adjacent provincial assembly building before the start of polls scheduled for 10am.

An MPA informed Dawn that PPP (Sherpao) members stayed overnight at the hotel while nine MPAs of PML(Q) stayed at the MPAs hostel.

“Our strategy was to reach the provincial assembly at 7am,” an MPA said.

The lawyers failed to besiege the provincial assembly building as the MPAs arrived there hours before the poll was scheduled to take place.

One MPA arrived at Sehri time and stayed back at a mosque in the vicinity of provincial assembly to ensure his voting.