MIANWALI, Oct 8: The returning officer on Saturday declared Malik Feroze Joyia the Piplan tehsil nazim after recounting of the rejected votes. Reports said that Abdul Majid Khan with 66 votes was declared winner against his rival candidate Malik Feroze Joyia, who secured 61 votes. But the losing candidate raised objections before the RO and requested for recounting of 26 rejected votes.

On Saturday, counsels of both candidates appeared before the RO on whose supervision the recounting of the rejected ballot papers was done. The outcome of recounting resulted in favour of Malik Feroze Joyia as his votes increased from 61 to 74 while votes of his opponent candidate increased from 66 to 71.

After this change in election result, the Khidmat Ittehad group of federal minister Dr Sher Afghan Khan has eliminated entirely the Rokhari group from the local politics.

Immediately after the RO’s decision, a large procession led by Dr Sher Afghan and Obaidullah Khan Shadikhel went to Piplan to congratulate the winning candidate.