PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leaders on Tuesday urged the party’s nominee for the chief minister’s office, Ali Amin Gandapur, to order a judicial inquiry into the alleged election rigging after becoming the province’s chief executive.

Mr Gandapur told them in a meeting at the Speaker’s House here that his government would utilise all available legal options to protect the “mandate given by the people to the PTI-nominated independent candidates.”

He also said that he would serve the people of every city and village on a priority basis and ensure the judicial use of development funds in the province.

The meeting was attended by PTI leaders from the provincial capital, including the newly-elected lawmakers. MNA-elect Sher Ali Arbab led the visitors.

The PTI leaders insisted that many of them had won the Feb 8 elections, but the returning officers of their constituencies declared other candidates winners by changing Form 45 results. They alleged that election results were changed in eight provincial assembly constituencies, including PK-72, PK-73, PK-74, PK-75, PK-78, PK79, PK-80 and PK-82, and one National Assembly constituency, NA-20, for the defeat of PTI-backed candidates.

The visitors also demanded the launch of a mega development project for Peshawar. They insisted that the provincial capital was ignored by successive governments, as no one from there was elected chief minister in the last few decades.

Mr Arbab said that government employees belonging to different parts of the province had occupied the positions meant for the people of the provincial capital.

He said that the “legal right” of Peshawarites to government jobs should be protected. The PTI leaders also demanded the early completion of the Ring Road project.

Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2024