PESHAWAR, Nov 11: A losing candidate of the Muttahida Majlis- i-Amal, Khan Afzal, has challenged the election of his opponent, Attiqur Rehman, of the Awami National Party for the NWFP Assembly seat, PF-42 (Hangu-I), before the election commission.

The petitioner has filed an election petition through advocate Essa Khan, stating that the winning candidate was 22-year-old and did not qualify for the elections as the age required for contesting the polls was 25 years.

The EC would assign the petition to any of the five election tribunals constituted in the Peshawar High Court.

The petitioner claimed that the respondent, Mr Rehman, who is the son of former provincial minister Ghaniur Rehman, had filed a suit before the court of a local civil judge for contesting the polls, following which a decree was issued in his favour.

Mr Afzal contended that there were various discrepancies in the order of the civil judge. The order was issued on Sep 2, whereas in one of the document Mr Rehman had given the date of the issuance of the decree in advance during the month of August. He contended that the civil court had overlooked various important points before issuance of the decree in his favour.

Mr Afzal prayed the commission to declare the election of Mr Rehman to the assembly null and void and to declare him (Khan Afzal) as a returned candidate from PF-42 (Hangu-I).