KOHAT, Oct 27: The recounting of votes in NA-47, Tribal Areas-XII, remained inconclusive on the seventh consecutive day due to the accusations and counter accusations against the administration and the returning officer by the supporters of rival candidates camping inside the courts in large numbers.

The recounting was ordered by the Election Commission on NA-47 after receiving several objections from a candidate, Ashfaq Battani, who was earlier declared successful, but later a runner-up Dr Nasim Afridi was pronounced MNA-elect by the returning officer.

Ashfaq Battani, who had won by a little margin of 33 votes, was defeated after Dr Nasim received more than 135 postal ballots.

Meanwhile, Ashfaq Battani at a news conference here on Sunday alleged that the returning officer was taking sides and rejecting his votes without valid objections.

He also demanded re-polling on the two polling stations of 113 and 119 where bags full of votes had been missing for unknown reasons. He said that the returning officer was not taking this matter seriously which could change the situation in his favour.

Earlier, Ashfaq Battani was arrested by the local police and released after his supporters were disarmed and warned not to take the law in their own hands.

Mr Battani also said that the returning officer should also change the venue of recounting from Kohat to somewhere in the middle of the southern cities of the province because due to the geographical nearness of Darra Adam Khel, the home constituency of Dr Nasim, the whole process of recounting was being carried out under pressure.

He expressed his concern that “as his rival was a billionaire” he might use money as a tool to manipulate the results in his favour.