KOHAT: The opposition parties and hundreds of losing candidates on Wednesday demanded a judicial probe into what they called the worst type of rigging in the May 30 local government elections.

Local leaders and activists of the tripartite alliance of Awami National Party, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl and Pakistan Peoples Party marched from the Tehsil Gate to Shah Faisal Gate despite strict ban on gatherings to express their concern over the polling procedure, alleging that the presiding officers were seen convincing people to poll votes in favour of PTI.

Interestingly, PTI district president Hamayun Chacha was also among the protesters to condemn the use of unfair means in the elections.

ANP district president Javed Khattak later addressing the rally said that they had witnessed ‘the change’ in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa promised by Imran Khan, in the LG elections.

He claimed that the government resources and vehicles were freely used by the PTI candidates.

JUI-F district president Maulana Abdul Hayee said that PTI chairman Imran Khan had exposed himself by using the administration in every district to his own party candidates’ advantage and crushed the democratic norms he had preached in Islamabad while holding a long sit-in against PML-N.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawa district president Sher Khan Bangash, PPP’s Abid Rauf, ANP secretary general Masood Khan Khalil and independent candidates, who lost in the polls, were of the view that had fair and transparent elections been held PTI would have faced a massive defeat. They said that they could provide proofs of rigging if the judicial commission was constituted.

Also, JUI-F’s Hafiz Saeed, Azmat Bangash and a couple of independents holding a press conference on Wednesday showed 150 ballot papers which had been gathered from the streets after the elections.

They demanded that a fraud case be registered against the PTI polling agents who were supported by the administration to ensure victory of the party candidates.

16 BOOKED IN CNICS CASE: Police on Wednesday booked 16 people, including public representatives and a former SP, for their involvement in issuance of Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs) to Afghan refugees.

The National Database Registration Authority had asked the police to take action against 16 people who might have taken bribe for attesting the 18 application forms of Afghan refugees. The police thoroughly investigated each case and found that these people had helped the refugees in getting CNICs.

The cases under non-bailable sections of the PPC 419,420,468,109 and 30 Nadra Act were registered in the city, cantonment, Junglekhel, Ustarzai, Mohammad Riaz Shaheed, Lachi and KDA police stations. However, no arrest has been made so far.

Published in Dawn, June 4th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play