SWABI/MARDAN: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf candidates retained the seats in Swabi and Mardan by-polls after the vote recount was completed on Friday.

MPA-elect from PK-44, Swabi-II, Aqibullah Khan of PTI, retained the seat as his lead over his opponent further increased in the ballot recounting.

The losing candidate, Ghulam Hassan of Awami National Party, had submitted an application for recounting of votes on Monday.

Earlier, in the unofficial result, Mr Aqibullah received 18,676 votes and Mr Hassan 17,059 and there was difference of 1,617 votes.

The number of rejected votes had also been increased. Earlier, total 540 votes were rejected, but now the total number of rejected votes had reached 824. The rejected votes of Mr Aqibullah were 527 and Mr Hassan 297.

After recounting, Mr Aqibullah got 18,589 votes and Mr Hassan 16,888 votes, and there was difference of 1,701 votes. Mr Aqibullah has got further 84 votes lead.

Meanwhile, ANP candidate Ahmad Khan Bahadar boycotted the vote recount in the PK-53 constituency, while the district returning officer declared the PTI candidate Abdus Salam Afridi as the winner in the by-poll.

The ANP man along with party workers protested against the DRO decision and later addressed a press conference at Mardan Press Club, accusing the DRO of favouring his rival candidate in the by-polls.

He said firstly, the DRO issued notification declaring him (Bahadar) as winner after completion of vote count, but after a while, the result was changed and the PTI candidate was declared winner.

Despite alleged rigging, he said he had filed an application with DRO for recounting of votes in the constituency.

Mr Khan alleged that DRO favoured PTI candidate as he was not paying attention to his objections during the recounting process. He also alleged that seals of bags containing votes were found already broken when they were brought for recounting.

He announced that he was going to file a writ petition in the Peshawar High Court to challenge the results.

Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2018