PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf tribal region leader and candidate for NA-44, Khyber tribal district, Mohammad Iqbal Afridi has alleged that some of the candidates are openly violating the code of conduct of the Election Commission of Pakistan by bribing voters, and demanded of the ECP to take notice of the violation and ensure free, fair and impartial elections.

This he said while speaking at a news conference at the Peshawar Press Club here on Tuesday. On the occasion, elders of Akakhel tribe announced support to the candidate.

Mr Afridi said that some of the candidates were carrying out developmental works and also distributing cash among the voters which was blatant violation of the code of conduct of ECP. He said that tribal districts were most backward areas as compared to the settled districts but the elected representatives had never played their role to initiate any mega uplift scheme there. He said that voters also knew about the poor performance of the former MNAs as they had always focused on accumulation of wealth only.

Similarly, the Akakhel tribe elders, including Zahid Khan Afridi, Raz Mohammad, Jamshed Khan and Samar Gul, said that they would extend support to Iqbal Afridi in the election purely on the basis of merit as he had played an active role in raising voice for the rights of the internally displaced persons during the past many years.

Published in Dawn, July 18th, 2018