HARIPUR/UPPER DIR: A big chunk of the runners-up, who lost on the district and tehsil council seats in the local government elections, staged a protest against the alleged rigging in the polls here on Saturday.

Over a hundred protesters, including the former candidates of district and tehsil councils, gathered at the TMA Park and spoke against what they called massive rigging in the elections in their respective union councils. They held the provincial government responsible for their defeat.

Those present on the occasion included: Malik Mohammad Younus of the Sara-i-Nemat Khan union council (UC), who had been implicated in a criminal case on the polling day; Qazi Mudoodul Haq, Sikandarpur UC; Saeed Abbasi of Shah Maqsood UC; Omar Naseer Khan of Pandak UC; Farooq Shah of Sirikot UC; and Sardar Salim Khan and Salim Tanoli of Khalabat UCs besides others who lost from different union councils for tehsil seats.

They demanded of the Election Commission of Pakistan to set up a judicial commission to investigate rigging in the LG elections in the affected districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. They alleged that it was an organised exercise on the part of the provincial government.

Losing candidates demand re-election

They announced that their protest would continue till the acceptance of their demand of either fresh polls or investigations into the rigged union councils. They said that all the major political parties, including PPP, PML-N, JUI-F and ANP, had rejected the results of the elections in the province.

The protesters said that PTI chief Imran Khan himself had announced at a press conference that his government was ready for re-elections. The protesters announced that their protest would begin every morning in the TMA Park.

UPPER DIR: The four-party alliance, including PML-N, held a demonstration to protest against rigging in the LG election here on Saturday.

The PPP, PML-N, ANP and JUI-F had made an alliance against Jamaat-i-Isalmi in Upper Dir, but they did not succeed in their campaign and faced a defeat. The four-party alliance could win only seven of the 32 district council seats. PTI’s Mujeeb Khan also joined the protest.

The demonstration was addressed by former MPA Badshah Saleh of PPP, Munawar Khan of ANP, Ayub Khan of PML-N and others. They alleged that JI had systematically rigged the election. They claimed that the returning officers, polling staff and police all sided with JI. “Jamaat deputed its own teachers at polling stations for rigging,” Mr Saleh alleged. They demanded of the ECP and provincial government to conduct re-election under the supervision of army and judiciary.

Published in Dawn, June 7th, 2015

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