HARIPUR, Dec 16: By-polls for the vacant nazim seats in Khanpur and Bait Gali union councils were concluded on Wednesday. Both the seats fell vacant after nazims of these union councils were disqualified.

In Khanpur, Raja Zeeshan Haidar Kiyani, former union nazim, was removed through a vote of no-confidence while Khurshid Khan of Bait Gali union council was disqualified by the Peshawar High Court for submitting fake matric certificate at the time of election in 2001.

According to the election results collected from official sources, Malik Mohammad Faqir was ahead of his rival, Malik Ghulam Mustafa, with a margin of 1,667 votes at the time of the filing of this story.

Officials said that Mr Faqir had secured 2,892 votes against 1,225 votes bagged by Mr Mustafa. At least 51 votes were declared invalid. There are 8,300 registered voters in the Khanpur union council. Likewise Abdul Razaq was returned successful by securing 1,377 votes against 634 votes secured by Mohammad Irshad.

FACTORY RAIDED: Two cases were registered against a Hattar-based food factory for violating the Pure Food Act here on Thursday. Police said that the District Food Controller, Haripur, on a public complaint raided the Tops Food Factory in the Hattar Industrial Estate and obtained samples of vinegar and tested it at the Food Laboratory in Peshawar. Its standard was found to be below the required standards and unhygienic.