Raised results: PML-N candidate loses in recount

Supporters protest in the streets.

BAHAWALPUR:

The KLP Road in Rahim Yar Khan remained blocked for more than 12 hours on Monday when supporters of a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz candidate in NA-192 protested against changed results.

The protest was led by Amir Farooq Yazdani, the general secretary of the PML-N divisional youth wing. Members of the Lion’s Wing Forum also joined the protest.

The protesters marched from Liaqatpur court to the Press Club and later to Qayyum Chowk.

On May 11, a returning officer had declared PML-N’s Makhdoom Syed Ahmad Alam Anwar winner in NA-192 with 83,150 votes. The runner up was Pakistan Peoples Party candidate Khwaja Qutab Fareed Koreja, who bagged 80,050 votes.

However, tables turned for Anwer on Sunday night after the votes were counted again on Koreja’s request made to district returning officer Syed Muhammad Qadir Shah. This time, Koreja was declared the winner with a lead of 1,291 votes.

The protesters gathered at Qayyum Chowk at around 2am and blocked it by burning tyres. They called the recount a raise to hijack the results.

Yazdani said that on Sunday night at 11pm, while they were celebrating Anwar’s victory, they were informed that Koreja had been declared winner. Anwer’s new tally was reported to be 79,208.

He alleged that former governor Makhdoom Syed Ahmad Mehmood had been involved in the tampering of results. He said that the former governor had used his influence with the district administration and the returning officers to change the result in the favour of the PPP.

The protesters demanded that the new results be cancelled and Anwer, who they said was the original winner, be again declared the winner.

More than 12 hours later, District Police Officer Sohail Habib Tajik visited the scene and asked the protesters to leave. They dispersed when the DPO assured them of taking up the issue with his seniors.

Separately in Tarinda Muhammad Pinah, scores of people protested against the change in Anwar’s results.

The protesters blocked the main highway near Milad-i-Mustafa bypass for more than 15 hours and chanted slogans against the returning officer, former governor and caretaker government.

They dispersed when a police team arrived on the scene and asked them to open the road for traffic. The protesters were told that the DPO would take notice of their complaint.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 14^th, 2013.