PESHAWAR: The Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl has rejected the result of the by-election in NA-45 Kurram district and demanded of the Election Commission of Pakistan to order vote recount in the constituency.

Speaking at a news conference at the Peshawar Press Club on Wednesday, JUI-F provincial spokesman Abdul Jalil Jan said his party’s candidate Malik Jamil had timely submitted application with the relevant returning officer for vote recount but the RO declined to entertain his plea.

Flanked by other leaders, Abdul Jalil said Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf candidate Malik Fakhar Zaman Bangash had been declared the winner despite serious dispute over the result.

“We will also approach the ECP to redress our complaint. The counting process was stopped by the presiding officers in 14 polling stations at a time when our candidate was leading in 120 polling stations with about 2,000 votes. However, the JUI-F’s win was changed into loss after midnight,” he alleged.

The NA-45 Kurram, he claimed was a stronghold of JUI-F but its votes were stolen in the dead of night. “We will approach the ECP for acceptance of our demand, otherwise the JUI-F will announce protest demonstrations across the country,” he warned.

Meanwhile, the JUI-F workers also held a demonstration outside the press club and shouted against the government and the ECP.

Published in Dawn, February 25th, 2021