BUNER, Feb 10 Controversy emerged in the by-polls on NA-28 constituency after re-polling on 11 polling stations on Tuesday as unofficial results placed Istiqbal Khan of Awami National Party 614 votes ahead of his rival candidate Bakht Jehan Khan of Jamaat-i-Islami, who was earlier leading the polls.
Bakht Jehan Khan rejected the unofficial result claiming that according to the results provided to him by the presiding officers of the said 11 polling stations he received 36 votes more than Mr Istiqbal thus increasing his overall lead to 1,700 votes.
Istiqbal claimed that according to unofficial results he had won the election and his rivals should accept the results.
Till late night the issue could not be resolved and the district returning officer, Anwar Ali Khan, had asked the presiding officers of the 11 polling station to appear and clarify the situation.
Polling in the said 11 polling stations of Shalbandi and Amnawar areas was postponed during the by-polls on Dec 28 after a suicide car bombing ripped through some buildings near a polling station killing 43 persons.
The by-election on NA-28 was announced after the death of ANP MNA Advocate Abdul Mateen Khan.
Earlier, out of the total 267 polling stations set up for the by-election polling was held in 256 stations. According to unofficial results of the said 256 polling stations,
Jamaat-i-Islami candidate Bakht Jehan Khan was leading with a margin of 1,664 votes against his close rival candidate of ANP, Istiqbal Khan.
Prior to the re-polling Bakht Jehan had received 29,350 votes against 27,686 votes of Mr Istiqbal. The number of votes in the remaining 11 polling stations was 10,038 including 6,183 male and 3,855 female voters.
However, after the re-polling in the 11 polling stations -- seven in Shalbandi and four in Amnawar -- both the candidates were issuing claims and counter-claims Tuesday night regarding their victory.
According to unofficial results Bakht Jehan received 665 votes whereas Istiqbal received 2,943 votes in the 11 polling stations. Sixty-two votes were rejected whereas six votes were cast in favour of three other candidates.
Bakht Jehan, a former provincial assembly speaker, told Dawn that due to decision of a local jirga to boycott election in Shalbandi only 78 votes were polled there which went to Istiqbal, whereas in Amnawar he received 564 votes against 450 of Istiqbal.
He added that the results were tampered by the election staff and his rival candidate.
Contrary to his claim Istiqbal stated that he had won with a margin of more than 600 votes. He added that the results received by him from the presiding officers clearly proved his claim. He added that even he was ready for recounting of the votes polled on Tuesday.
Earlier, polling was held in peaceful atmosphere. Strict security measures were taken by the local police and public holiday was announced in the district by the administration.
Throughout the polling the areas of Shalbandi and Amnawar were cordoned and no one from other parts except the elections staffers, well known figures, journalists and health staffers were allowed to enter the vicinity.