PESHAWAR, March 28: An election tribunal dismissed a petition here on Monday challenging the election of MPA Sarfaraz Khan from the provincial assembly constituency PF-36, Swabi.

The tribunal comprising Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel of the Peshawar High Court observed that the petitioner, Aamir Saeed, a rival candidate, could not prove the allegations leveled in his petition against the MPA.The petitioner had lost with a narrow margin of 134 votes. Sarfaraz Khan, belonging to Awami National Party, had received 9,899 votes whereas his close rival, Aamir Saeed, an independent candidate, had got 9,765.

The petitioner had challenged the election of Mr Sarfaraz on the ground that around 224 votes, which were double-stamped, were counted at polling station No.44 in favour of the latter, which was illegal and against the provisions of Representation of Peoples Act. He contended that his representatives were also not allowed to sit during the counting of votes. Advocates Qazi Anwer and Neelum Khan appeared for the respondents including Mr Sarfaraz and contended that no illegal votes were counted and added that the ballot papers were double-stamped afterwards.

They pointed out that the said votes were cast in favour of Mr Sarfaraz and the petitioner was involved in double-stamping of the ballot papers against which an FIR was also registered by the concerned returning officer.

Meanwhile, the same tribunal adjourned for April 4 in two identical petitions challenging the election of senior provincial minister, Rahimdad Khan, on the ground that he allegedly submitted fake graduation degree in 2008 general elections.

The two petitions are filed by Shahid Khan and Riaz Khan, the rival candidates belonging to Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal and ANP respectively, who had lost to Mr Rahimdad from the provincial assembly constituency PF-27, Mardan. In the same petitions, the Gomal University Dera Ismail Khan had submitted a report of an inquiry conducted by the university on the order of the Higher Education Commission regarding the degree of Mr Rahimdad.