Rigging accusations: JUI-F Swabi intra-party elections postponed

SWABI:

The intra-party elections of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) were postponed in Swabi district after disagreements amid the local leadership. Reservations were raised by Maulana Fazl Ali Haqqani’s group over the polls held on Friday, after which the new date has been fixed for May 29 at Darul-Uloom Taleemul Quran.

Haqqani is contesting elections for district ameer of the party and Noorul Islam for district administrator. On the other panel, Maulana Attaul Haq Darvaish is contesting for district ameer with Maulana Hakeem Ahsanul Haq as district administrator.

Haqqani’s group raised reservations saying they had not been consulted in the re-polling process and that bogus votes had been cast. A meeting was held to this effect in Thandkoi with provincial leader Maulana Asmatullah in the chair, in which a large number of party leaders participated.

Speaking to the media in Swabi on Monday, Haqqani said four counters were set up for polling, where many non-computerised NICs surfaced. Because of this, he said, several people cast their votes a number of times. Haqqani added that due to these tactics, his panel had many grievances over the elections of provincial and district administrators.

“We demand a neutral election commission for the intra-party polls,” said Noorul Islam, adding that they boycotted the voting process because the election committee continued with unilateral voting and did not bother to hear their concerns.

Later on, Maulana Asmatullah stopped the polling and announced the new date.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 28^th, 2014.