BAHAWALPUR: Ahmedpur East City police booked late on Friday under Section 7 of the terrorism act at least 300 people, including Makhdoom Syed Ali Hassan Gilani and 21 others, for allegedly gate-crashing and attacking on Thursday the office of returning officer (RO) in NA-174 in an attempt to take away ballot boxes.

The suspects are also accused of pelting police with stones. They had attacked the RO after Ali Gilani was announced defeated by PTI candidate and his stepbrother, Makhdoom Sami Gilani.

According to the district police chief’s spokesman Umar Saleem, the first information report was registered under sections 7 of the ATA, and 353, 188, 427, 148, 149 and 27 of PPC after an armed mob allegedly led by PPP’s Ali Gilani vandalised the RO’s office on Thursday.

Police had dispersed the mob after firing tear gas shells. According to Saleem, earlier the mob had protested at Abbasia Chowk in Ahmedpur East and blocked the highway. Police did not confirm any arrests till the filing of this report.

Meanwhile, the RO rejected applications of Ali Gilani and independent candidate Bahawal Abbasi for recounting of votes in NA-174.

The RO in NA-171 Hasilpur also rejected the application of PTI candidate Naeemuddin Warraich, who had been defeated by PML-N’s Riaz Hussain Pirzada.

REJECTED: Nawab Salahuddin Abbasi on Friday announced that he was rejecting results of NA-174 from where his son Bahawal Abbasi had been defeated by PTI’s Sami Gilani.

At a press conference at his Dera Nawab Sahib residence, Nawab Abbasi levelled allegations of massive rigging that he claimed had been planned well in advance. He added that he did not believe in politics of vengeance and would adopt legal options to seek justice for his son.

RESULT DETAILS: The PTI and PML-Q swept Ahmedpur East and Yazman tehsils, respectively. In Ahmedpur East, the PTI’s Sami Gilani won NA-174, while the party also claimed two provincial assembly seats here -- Sahibzada Gazain Abbasi and Makhdoom Iftikhar Hassan Gilani.

Abbasi defeated PML-N’s former MPA Qazi Adnan Farid and Gilani retained his provincial assembly seat from his native Uch Sharif by ousting PPP’s Syed Aamir Ali Shah.

In Yazman tehsil, PML-Q’s General Secretary Tariq Cheema emerged triumphant and retained his NA-172 seat by defeating PML-N’s former senator Saood Majid Chaudhry.

Cheema’s close aide, PML-Q former MPA Dr Muhammad Afzal, retained his provincial assembly seat, and the party’s Chaudhry Ehsanul Haq defeated former PML-N MPA Khalid Jajja for another provincial seat.

Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2018