KOHAT: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl Orakzai district chief and the candidate for the slot of lower tehsil chairman have rejected the results of the local government elections, accusing the administration and election staff of rigging the polls.

They were addressing a press conference in Kohat Press Club on Saturday. Those who spoke on the occasion included JUI-F Orakzai chief Maulana Abdul Baseer, Jamiat Lawyers Forum chairman Amad Azam advocate, Khursheed Khattak advocate, Ms Musarrat Shafi advocate of Kohat and Lower Orakzai tehsil chairman candidate Haji Din Badshah.

Maulana Baseer said that at 12am he was picked up from the polling station and kept in illegal confinement at an unknown place for several hours. He said this caused unrest among the voters which affected the polling.

“I repeatedly complained to the presiding officer about the discriminatory attitude of the police, denial of forms 17 and 18, and forcible stamping of ballots at women polling stations by rivals, but no action was taken,” he claimed. He added that the police also refused to register FIR of firing on their workers, his kidnapping and bogus polling.

The candidate for the chairman slot, Din Badshah, said that their candidate in Upper Orakzai had won by a huge margin while his success was also certain, but his mandate was snatched.

Amad Azam advocate said the returning officer was not listening to them while the police were not filing FIR of firing on their workers.

He demanded the Election Commission of Pakistan to conduct impartial inquiry and order re-polling in Lower Orakzai tehsil.

Meanwhile, a large number of paramedics along with political and social activists staged a protest here the other day by suspending all services except emergency to condemn what they called illegal actions of KDA teaching hospital medical superintendent.

Published in Dawn, April 3rd, 2022