PESHAWAR, April 30 The chief election commissioner has provided relief to an MNA from tribal area, Akhundzada Chittan, charged with possessing fake graduation degree, by transferring his case from an election tribunal in Peshawar to Abbottabad.

The order of the CEC proved to be a blessing in disguise for Mr Chittan who was issued a show cause notice during the last hearing by an election tribunal of the Peshawar High Court here asking him why he should not be stopped from performing his function as an MNA as he has been using delaying tactics in disposal of the election petitions challenging his election.When the tribunal comprising Justice Dost Muhammad Khan took up for hearing the election petitions on Friday, the counsel appearing for Mr Chittan informed that the chief election commissioner had accepted his application regarding transferring his case to any other city as he had been facing threat in Peshawar.

The tribunal adjourned the hearing with the observation that next time it would be taken up for hearing in Abbottabad. Meanwhile, a former MNA and a petitioner against Mr Chittan, Shahabuddin Khan, stated that while the case was in the final stages before the election tribunal hearing, its transferring to Abbottabad was unjust.

Addressing a press conference here on Friday, he stated that during last hearing the tribunal had issued show cause notice to him for using delaying tactics and had also imposed a penalty of Rs10,000 against him for seeking undue adjournment.—Bureau Report