MANSEHRA: The police on Sunday barred the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-backed contestant for NA-15 Shahzada Gustasap Khan from holding a public gathering in the Judbah area of Torghar district.

A police contingent deployed at the Shahgai police post stopped a vehicular convoy led by Mr Gustasap heading to Judbah, the district headquarters of Torghar, to hold a public gathering. “You can’t proceed to Judbah to hold the public meeting,” the Judbah police station SHO leading the police contingent, told Mr Gustasap at Shahgai post.

The SHO said his high-ups following the district administration’s directives had ordered him not to allow the vehicular convoy to go beyond the police post.

However, the PTI-backed contender entered into an argument with SHO, asking him to allow them to proceed as election rallies were not banned, but the SHO didn’t allow them at all.

After an hour of heated arguments, Torghar deputy commissioner Ziaur Rehman intervened through telephone, directing the police to allow the procession to proceed further, but they shouldn’t be allowed to hold a public gathering in Judbah.

Gustasap’s rally first stopped at Shahgai post, then in Judbah

The police again intervened in Judbah and didn’t allow the PTI workers and Mr Khan to hold the gathering.

Later, the election contender moved to a local jirga hall and addressed the workers there.

He asked the people to vote for the PTI to steer this country out of the economic and political crises.

It is to be mentioned here that as many as 16 contenders are vying for NA-15, Mansehra-II, which also covers the Torghar district.

The prominent among the hopefuls are PML-N’s supremo Nawaz Sharif, JUI-F’s Mufti Kifayatullah, PPP’s Zargul Khan and PTI-backed Shahzada Gustasap, and two women independent contenders – Sanaya Sabeel and Umbreen Faiz Shirazi.

NOTICES ISSUED: The district monitoring officer appointed by the Election Commission of Pakistan to check violations of election code of conduct has summoned PTI-backed NA contender Saleem Imran Swati and a college principal for affixing giant hoarding on a school building.

To find your constituency and location of your polling booth, SMS your NIC number (no spaces) to 8300. Once you know your constituency, visit the ECP website here for candidates.

Published in Dawn, February 5th, 2024