PK-90 Chitral-II: APML MPA counters reports of losing ballot recount

Says the results were not complete, final hearings remain pending.

PESHAWAR: MPA from PK-90, Ghulam Muhammad, rejected news reports about his alleged defeat in the general elections after a recount of rejected and postal ballots. The election tribunal has not finalised its report, he argued.

At a news conference held at the Peshawar Press Club on Thursday, All Pakistan Muslim League’s (APML) lawmaker Muhammad said a news channel broadcasted a story about his defeat on May 11 on the basis of an initial and incomplete report.

The recount document was compiled by a commission comprising Joint Provincial Election Commissioner (retd) Shafiq Ahmad and Riaz Ahmad Khattak. The commission was formed after PK-90 Chitral -II runner-up and Pakistan Peoples Party candidate Sardar Hussain appealed for a recount as the winning margin was less than the number of rejected votes.



According to documents shared on Wednesday, the recount showed Sardar Hussain polled 10,859 votes while Ghulam Muhammad polled 10, 858 – one less than Hussain. The commission counted votes in the presence of the candidates, polling agents and district returning officer.

Ghulam Muhammad contested in the May 11 elections on an APML ticket and won the party its sole seat in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa by seven votes.

The election tribunal has asked Muhammad and his team to submit their arguments and reservations regarding the report and has summoned both candidates on October 22, 2013 for further discussion. According to the MPA, the election commission will notify the winner after hearing final arguments from both sides.

Muhammad alleged his rival Hussain was celebrating a victory which was not final yet

Ghulam Muhammad accused his opponent of trying to mislead the constituency by spreading news of his victory. “I am still the successful candidate from PK-90 Upper Chitral, my provincial assembly membership is still intact. I reserve the right to take legal action against my opponent Sardar Hussain.”

His lawyer Khattak claimed there were ambiguities in the commission’s report and media accounts were baseless and incomplete.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 11^th, 2013.