PESHAWAR, Aug 19: Defeated candidates in the Shaikhabad Union Council have accused the election staff of rigging the polls and have demanded re-election under the supervision of the army.

Speaking at a news conference on Friday, candidates for Nazim’s slots in Shaikhabad Union Council, including Inamullah, Saeedullah Safi and Shamsur Rehman along with members of their respective panels, alleged that the presiding officer on the directives of Federal Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao facilitated Jan Alam Bacha to rig the polls.

They alleged that they had caught the woman presiding officer with a sack full of ballot papers which had been stamped with the election symbol of Mr Bacha. They said that they had informed the officials concerned through written complaints to stop the polling but no action was taken.

They said that they demanded from the Election Commission of Pakistan to declare the election in Shaikhabad locality as null and void and order fresh election in the council under the supervision of the army.

They said that according to the record about 12,000 people had voted but the nazim had been elected with only 516 votes. One general councillor was elected with only 24 votes.

They also said that they would go to the court against the rigging if re-elections were not done in the council.