SAHIWAL: Police registered a case against runner-up candidate Awais Mahmood and 26 supporters of his political party, Tehreek-i-Ehsas Pakistan, on charges of issuing threats to election officials and disrupting polling during the by-election in PP-203, Chichawatni, the other day.
The case was lodged with Saddar Police Station, Chichawatni, on the complaint of Gulraiz Khan, presiding officer of polling station No 102, Govt Boys High School, Chak 102/12-L.
Mahmood, his supporter Badar Nisar and other associates were booked under sections of the Pakistan Penal Code and the Election Act, 2017.
According to the FIR, Mr Mahmood and his supporters allegedly entered the polling station premises at around 3pm, raised slogans, attempted to snatch ballots and counterfoils from election staff, and threatened the officials with dire consequences in an effort to influence the polling process.
The FIR further alleged that Mahmood’s supporters pressured the election staff to record videos and statements according to their wishes.
Rejecting the allegations, Mr Mahmood described the case as political victimisation and claimed it was registered under pressure from the ruling PML-N.
Speaking to Dawn, he said he had received complaints from his polling agents that ballots were being issued without properly recording voters’ computerised national identity card (CNIC) numbers on the counterfoils.
He said he immediately visited the polling station and found more than 35 counterfoils without CNIC entries while ballots had already been issued against them.
“I found that only 135 out of 176 counterfoils carried CNIC numbers. When I questioned the presiding officer, he told me the entries were the responsibility of the assistant presiding officer,” Mr Mahmood claimed.
He maintained that he merely raised an objection, handed the relevant counterfoils back to polling staff and reported the matter to duty DSP Fayyaz and SHO Amjad, who were present at the polling station. Later, he moved outside polling station.
This correspondent contacted Returning Officer Khudadad Tarar and District Police Officer Muhammad Usman Tipu on the polling day regarding reports of the violence last night. Both officials had termed the matter a routine objection rather than a serious violation.
Mr Mahmood alleged that no objection regarding the incident was reflected in the collection of result records or result consolidation process by the returning officer. He claimed that the FIR was registered under political pressure.
Both the DPO and the RO said the case had been registered on the basis of a written complaint submitted by the presiding officer, who exercised magistracy powers on polling day under the election laws.
In PP- 203 Asad Hanif Jutt, a nephew of Hanif Jutt, of the PML-N won the by-election by defeating Awais Mahmood.
According to unofficial result Asad Jutt secured 41,912 while Awais Mahmood being runner up candidate secured 25,106 votes while Waheed Kathia secured 2,072 votes and stood at Number three. The total turnout was 27.2pc.
Published in Dawn, November 10th, 2026
