LANDI KOTAL, Sept 10: An election tribunal in Peshawar allowed Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf candidate Akhtar Murad to contest election from Khyber Agency (NA-45).

The returning officer had rejected Akhtar Murad’s papers on grounds that he was a Wapda defaulter.

Nomination papers of seven other candidates were also rejected on the same grounds.

The PTI candidate challenged the decision of the returning officer, arguing that no electricity meter was installed in his residence, as was the case in the entire tribal area and thus he could not be declared as a Wapda defaulter.

Wapda asked all the contesting candidates from tribal areas to deposit an amount of Rs35,000 as annual electricity bill.

They alleged that those who failed to deposit the amo-unt were power stealers and could not contest the elections.

Akhtar Murad refuted Wapda’s allegations and contended that as long as the row over meter installation was not resolved between Water and Power Development Authority and tribal people, they could not be barred from contesting elections.

The tribunal after checking records, which it summoned on Monday, declared Akhtar Murad as eligible to contest the National Assembly elections.