PHC dismisses petitions against K-P LG re-polls

PHC directs ECP to announce dates for re-polling in stations where discrepancies were reported

PESHAWAR: Peshawar High Court on Friday disposed all petitions challenging the legitimacy of local government elections in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. 

Disposing 23 petitions this year, a two-member bench comprising Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth and Justice Qaiser Rashid directed the Election Commission of Pakistan to announce dates for re-election in polling stations where discrepancies were reported.

The petitions included those filed by incumbent MPA of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Zahid Durrani and other candidates not satisfied with the results and procedure through which the elections were conducted.

Read: Violence-marred local government polls leave 9 dead across K-P

PHC in its order says the ECP can fix a date for re-polling whenever it wants keeping in view the situation on grounds.

Violence and mismanagement-marred polls in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa saw as many as nine people being killed and over 30 injured during clashes in the province.

Read: Re-marking calendars: Local bodies’ polls in K-P rescheduled to June

Further, in several areas of the province particularly from districts of Lower Dir, Swat and southern parts of the province, women were either held back by a local consensus among candidates or were not allowed to exercise their right to vote.