PESHAWAR, Aug 8: On the directives of Chief Election Commissioner Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar, the Kohistan district returning officer has summoned a union council nazim and his rival candidate to court on Tuesday. The nazim has been accused of entering into an agreement with his rival through which the latter will give up his candidacy and the former will, in return, give the hand of his 11-year-old daughter.
The DRO, Azharul Habib, who is also the district and sessions judge of Kohistan, has ordered the DSP concerned and the SHO of Palas police station to conduct an inquiry into the matter.
Mr Habib has directed police to ensure the presence of the nazim, Ajoon Khan, and his rival, Vilayat Noor, in his court on Tuesday.
Ajoon Khan, according to reports, entered into an agreement with Vilayat Noor for the post of nazim union council Kunsher in Palas Tehsil of Kohistan district, an extremely backward area of the NWFP.
Under the agreement, Ajoon Khan allegedly agreed to pay Rs200,000 and to give the hand of his 11-year-old daughter to Vilayat and in return the latter would withdraw his nomination papers. Vilayat has already withdrawn his nomination papers which appears to substantiate the rumours as Ajoon has been elected unopposed.
A press release of the Election Commission of Pakistan states: “The Chief Election Commissioner taking suo-motu notice of this unlawful and inhuman act has directed the district returning officer to hold a fact-finding inquiry into the matter and send a detailed report by Aug 9 for taking further action in accordance with the law.”
Mr Habib told Dawn from Kohistan on the telephone that he would record the statements of Ajoon and Vilayat and would also summon other persons relevant to the case.
“The said union council is far away and without any telephonic link with the rest of the district due to which the SHO concerned had to send an official early in the morning for informing the two persons to appear before the court,” he said.
He said that there should be some concrete evidence to support the allegations and he could confirm the incident only after the inquiry.
An official of the office of the district police officer, Kohistan, told Dawn that they had also heard such rumours but they had not taken any action in this regard. The officer said that it was up to the election authorities to take action against the persons concerned.
During the last local government election, it may be mentioned, all reserved seats for women remained vacant as people in the area did not allow women to take part in the poll process.