LG elections: ECP orders re-polling at five stations

Indepdendent candidate disqualified for five years

ISLAMABAD:

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday issued directives to conduct re-polling at five polling stations in Peshawar’s Qadirabad and disqualified an independent candidate for five years for creating a law and order situation during the first phase of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) local body elections.

The ECP, while ordering fresh polling, declared the independent candidate, Arshad Ali, disqualified for five years for disrupting polling at the polling stations, vandalising property and burning ballot papers.

The ECP had reserved its decision on January 20 after completing the inquiry and hearing in the case pertaining to the postponement of elections of City Council Peshawar.

Appearing before the commission in December 2021, the independent candidate had blamed the opponents for triggering the commotion, which he had joined later as retaliation. An FIR was also subsequently lodged against him.

However, the chief election commissioner told Arshad Ali that he had not only joined the commotion but also opened fire. “The returning officer should have punished him on the spot.”

Issuing the ruling on Monday, the commission directed the provincial election commissioner K-P to register a complaint against Arshad Ali under the Election Act 2017.

In addition, the electoral watchdog has ordered departmental action against the concerned police officers for negligence in discharging their duties.

Last week, the Abbottabad bench of the Peshawar High Court (PHC) postponed the second phase of the local government elections in the 18 districts of K-P till the holy month of Ramazan.

The bench released an 11-page judgment. As per the decision a few days ago a local resident of Ogi Haji Muhammad Khan, Malik Aurangzeb of tehsil Palai, Muhammad Iqbal of Palas and Sardar Shafiq of Abbottabad filed a petition with PHC.

It reads that the provincial government as well as Met Office has sent a letter to the ECP but the ECP failed to take any concrete step in this regard, adding that the ECP has failed to fulfil its responsibilities as the elections would be held mostly in mountainous districts and the petitioners have taken a stance that it is not possible for voters to go out of their homes due to the extreme cold and snow.

The Hazara Province Movement welcomed the decision of PHC to postpone the next phase of local body elections.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 8^th, 2022.