MANSEHRA: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl leader Mufti Kifayatullah on Saturday accepted his defeat in NA-15 and demanded of the PML-N to follow the suit.

“My party and I were optimistic to take this seat from PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, but we both lost to the PTI-backed independent candidate and should accept it wholeheartedly,” he told a presser here.

PTI-backed contestant Shahzada Gustasab Khan, who emerged as the winner in NA-15, Mansehra-II, also addressed the presser.

Mr Kifayatullah, who is also a former lawmaker, said that PML-N leader Captain retired Mohammad Safdar should not indulge in a weak legal battle with Mr Gustasab Khan and not create hurdles in the issuance of his Form 48 by the district returning officer.

“The workers of both PML-N and PTI have come face to face, and the situation can create law and order situation if Mr Safdar doesn’t take measures to defuse the tension,” he warned.

The JUI-F leader also advised Mr Safdar not to mislead Nawaz Sharif about ground realities as he shouldn’t have first invited him to contest elections here.

On the occasion, Shahzada Gustasab told journalists that the returning officer for NA-15 Hajrah Samee had already issued the Form 47, declaring him as the returned candidate.

“Now district returning officer is creating hurdles in issuance of Form 48 and 49, unjustifiably providing an opportunity to Mr Sharif to move court of law against the results,” he said.

Mr Gustasab warned that he had already won the NA-15 constituency with a margin of over 25,000 votes and the deputy commissioner should respect his mandate.

“I have asked my workers to stay calm, but any adverse decision by the district returning officer can lead to law and order situation, and could go out of his control,” he warned.

He alleged that the district returning officer/deputy commissioner was only welcoming Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz contestants and leaders into his office, and never allowed his party’s leaders and contestants to get in.

Published in Dawn, February 11th, 2024