PESHAWAR: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) candidates from NA-45 in Kurram tribal district Dr Arif Hussain Turi and PK-87 in Karak district Dr Zaman Khattak have rejected the election results and demanded fresh polls in their constituencies.

The candidate raised the demands while addressing separate press conferences at Peshawar Press Club on Tuesday.

Dr Arif Hussain Turi alleged that the election results were changed with assistance of local administration, polling staff and FC personnel to declare his opponent successful. “It is selection, not election,” he added.

He said that elections were held in a peaceful manner under supervision of army, however, in lower Kurram FC personnel were deployed against the will of people. He said that locals had demanded of army to supervise the elections.

Mr Turi said that two empty ballot boxes were recovered after three days of the polling from the women polling station in Lower Kurram. He said that the ballot papers were stamped outside the polling stations.

He demanded of the government and Election Commission of Pakistan to hold re-elections in NA-45 constituency under the supervision of army and impartial polling staffs.

Threaten protest if ECP fails to accept their demand

In a separate press conference, PPP candidate for PK-87 in Karak, Dr Zaman Khattak also levelled similar allegations against the polling staff about rigging the elections in the constituency and rejected the results.

He alleged that JUI-F nominee Mian Nisar Gul, independent candidate Javed Khattak, ANP candidate Khurshid Khattak and PTI candidate Farid Tofan rigged the polls by spending millions of rupees. He said that he submitted three complaints with ECP but it didn’t take any action against the candidates.

Dr Zaman said the security personnel didn’t allow his polling agents to enter the polling stations. “We want free and fair elections instead of selection,” he said. He threatened to launch protest if ECP did not accept his demand.

Meanwhile, a human rights activist Asmatullah Wazir has demanded recounting of votes in provincial assembly constituency PK-87 in Bannu.

Addressing a press conference, he said that his organisation-- Human Right Development and Welfare Organisation -- had written a letter to district returning officer and returning officer for recounting of votes in PK-87 and PK-90 owing to rigging in the constituencies.

However, an order was issued to recount votes only in PK-90. He said that authorities concerned were yet to recount votes in PK-87 wherein election results were changed in favour of a candidate.

He demanded recounting of votes in PK-87. He also demanded of ECP to take action against the returning officer and polling staff over alleged rigging in the elections.

Published in Dawn, August 1st, 2018