PESHAWAR, Sept 22: Thapa Wandgari, a section of the Qambar Khel tribe, has described the Khyber Agency council elections held in Hayatabad on Tuesday as partial. Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, Wazir Akbar Khan Qambar Khel demanded re-election on the basis of the National Identity Cards system.

He alleged that the elections were fixed and the political agent was involved in it. Flanked by dozens of elders, Akbar Khan accused Political Agent Arbab Arif of massive rigging in the election, saying he had converted a minority into majority.

Akbar Khan said the opposition had brought in outsiders who cast votes for them. He said when they lodged a complaint with the political agent about it, he not only allegedly rejected it but also warned them that if they did not like the election procedure then he could nominate the opposition candidate.

Akbar Khan said opposition candidate Shaukat was declared winner with 585 votes against 538 votes secured by their candidate Said Wali. Actually, he said, Said Wali had obtained 740 votes.

The elders threatened that if the governor did not take immediate notice of the situation then they would hold a protest demonstration against the government. They demanded an impartial and transparent re-election on the basis of the identity card system.