PESHAWAR/Islamabad - Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf candidate for Tehsil Mayor DI Khan Umar Amin Khan Gandapur had secured a big margin of over 20,000 votes against  JUI- F candidate as vote counting was underway.

According to election result announced by PTI election cell, Umar Amin Gandapur had bagged 45,336 from 150 polling stations out of total 302 and JUI- F candidate had obtained 22,362 votes.

Federal Minister for Planning, Development, Reforms and Special Initiatives Asad Umar in a tweet message congratulated Ali Amin Gandapur and PTI workers on defeating JUI-F in its home constituency earlier in general elections and now in local government elections. 

He said that a person who couldn’t protect his home constituency wanted to topple the government.

Counting of votes was currently underway in 13 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) for local government (LG) elections.

The re-polling began at 8am and continued until 5pm without any break.

According to the Election Commission, the re-polling had to be held on seats of City Mayor, Tehsil Chairman, Neighborhood and Village Council seats where the polling had stopped during the first phase of local body elections due to brawl and the deaths of candidates.

CEC hails security forces for maintaining peace during polling

The 13 districts include Charsadda, Nowshera, Khyber, Mohmand, Mardan, Kohat, Karak, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Dera Ismail Khan, Buner, Bajaur and Peshawar. Security arrangements have also been made for the maintenance of law and order on Election Day.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had announced that the voting for the second phase of KP LG polls will be held on March 31.

 

Female workers of the Awami National Party (ANP) accused the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) of rigging the local bodies’ (LBs) elections held in some of the constituencies of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on Sunday. 

Talking to the media, one of the female workers said that she had been told by some of the voters at Imamia Colony that they had been given Rs3,000 each for voting for the PTI, and they would have done the same for the ANP, had the party given them money as well. “But I flatly refused, saying that our party does not believe in bribing people for the sake of votes,” she added. 

However, contrary to the claims made by the ANP worker, no such complaint had been made by the polling staff.

 

Ballot boxes in two polling stations of Karak were allegedly set on fire as re-polling was underway.

According to details, re-polling was taking place at 14 polling stations in Tarak. Sources claimed that unidentified women wearing burqas threw incendiary materials in the ballot box under the pretext of voting, which caused a fire in the ballot box.

After the fire, a stampede broke out in the polling stations and staff as well as other voters got stuck in station.

However, police and other security forces took control of the area and brought the situation under control.

It merits mention that, re-polling is being held on various seats of local councils where elections were terminated either due to deteriorated situation on polling day or death of the contesting candidates during first phase of the local bodies’ polls.

Meanwhile, the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja has hailed the role of security forces in maintaining peaceful environment during the re-polling process in the first phase of Local Government elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

In a latest statement, the CEC said that peaceful election process was ensured due to the vital role of law enforcement agencies, Pakistan Army, FC and police.

He also admired the role of Chief Secretary KP, Secretary Interior and Provincial administration in holding a peaceful LG re-polling process.

 

It must be noted that the re-polling was held in various districts of KP where elections were postponed due to the deteriorated law and order situation and death of few contesting candidates during the first phase of the LG elections.

 

Re-polling was held in 13 districts of KP including Mardan, Charsadda, Peshawar Nowshera,, Kohat, Bannu, Laki Marwat, Dera Ismail Khan, karak Mohmand and Bajaur.