PESHAWAR, Feb 24: The re-lection on PF-85, Swat-VI, and PF-42, Hangu-II, will be held on Monday amid imposition of section 144 in the Hangu district to ensure smooth polling.

There are reports that a secret ‘deal’ has already been reached between the Awami National Party (ANP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) about which party will get the provincial assembly seat of PF-85. Former federal minister and PML-Q leader Amir Muqam, and ANP’s Jaffar Shah are in the run from this constituency.

The ANP candidate was leading with a low margin in last Monday’s elections, however, the polling was postponed on the Badaly polling station for non-availability of polling staff and polling materials on the election day.

Reliable sources told Dawn that Monday’s polling in the PF-85 would be just a show of polling bout as the PML-Q leader Amir Muqam and ANP’s chief Asfanyar Wali Khan had already reached an ‘understanding’ that the PF-85 seat would go to ANP’s Jaffar Shah while NA-31 and PF-87, Shangla-I, seats would be left for PML-Q candidates Amir Muqam and Zahir Shah, respectively.

Although Amir Muqam was officially declared winner on the NA-31 but there were strong reservations by the ANP candidates and workers regarding his win. The ANP candidate Saeedur Rehman and workers held protest demonstrations in Shangla and Alpuri areas of Swat and demanded re-election on the NA-31 for what they called it a fraud and rigged election.

In PF-87, Zahir Shah was officially declared winner but due to the burning of ballot papers by some unknown miscreants on various polling stations from Shangla, the ANP candidate and workers took to the streets and demanded re-election on the provincial assembly seat. Mohammad Yar of the ANP was the runner up who was defeated with a close margin by the PML-Q candidate.