PML-N loses PA seat in re-polling

Published October 25, 2002

ABBOTTABAD, Oct 24: Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) lost one of  its provincial assembly seats to an independent candidate, Qalandar Khan Lodhi, by 119 votes, after re-polling at a polling station of PF-46 here on Wednesday.

Earlier, in the unofficial results announced by the returning officer, Malik Manzoor of PML(N) was declared winner with a lead of 108 votes.

Qalandar Lodhi had filed a complaint before the Election Commission, which was upheld and re-polling ordered at the Kali Kather polling station.

On Oct 10, out of 1,266 votes, 412 were polled at the polling station. Qalandar Lodhi had polled 176 votes and Malik Manzoor bagged 126.

The polling station was considered the hometown of Mr Lodhi but it  was shifted at the eleventh hour, which resulted in less votes being polled.

In the re-polling, Qalandar Lodhi got 439 votes, Malik Manzoor of  Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) 154 votes and Amanullah obtained 20 votes. Three votes were cancelled.

Of the 11 candidates for the seat, two independent contestants, Shaukat Ali Khan Tanoli and Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-i-Azam)-backed Qaiser Zaman  Afridi, supported Qalandar in the re-polling.