MULTAN, Aug 29: A returning officer in Dera Ghazi Khan district announced successful a candidate for the nazim slot despite that he had himself forwarded to the police four written complaints against the ‘winner’ lodged by presiding officers of almost all polling stations set up in that union council.

RO Rana Muhammad Asif of Taunsa tehsil has declared Muhammad Azam Khan Malghani winner of the union council No 44 (Sokarr) against his only opponent Nazeer Ahmed Malghani in elections held on Aug 18 last.

The announcement came as a surprise as the presiding officer of four of the five polling stations had lodged complaints against Azam Malghani, his brother Hasan Khan and dozens of supporters for keeping them hostage at gunpoint, manhandling them, snatching ballot papers, double stamping the votes polled in favour of the rival candidate to make them bogus and stuffing of ballot boxes.

Presiding officers had mentioned in their complaints that assailants themselves prepared the results without bothering even to count votes they had stuffed in ballot boxes. They had informed the RO that under the circumstances they and their subordinate polling staff were unable to submit the results as they had hardly managed to save their lives.

The RO sent reports of presiding officers to the police authorities for appropriate action against the culprits. The Taunsa police had registered at least six cases on the Election Day against Azam Malghani and his 50 alleged accomplices under various sections.

However, no arrest has so far been reported.

The presiding officer of the polling station No 5 cited in his report that Azam Khan himself prepared results showing 1,015 votes polled in his favour and 15 to the rival candidate while the total number of registered voters were 1,070. Identical were the complaints lodged by other presiding officers of Sokarr union council.

Wanted by the police under serious election-related and criminal offences, the accused, however, was declared winner allegedly under pressure of a ruling party MPA returned from Taunsa tehsil.

Meanwhile, Nazeer Malghani told Dawn that he had brought the whole matter to the knowledge of the Election Commission immediately after the polling, but to no avail. The complaints submitted to the RO have signatures of all the presiding officers and their respective subordinate polling staff.

Interestingly, the police have also mentioned in the FIRs that the cases are being instituted against Azam Malghani and his accomplices on the direction of RO Rana Asif.