Two-member commission to recount votes in Chitral on 30th

ISLAMABAD, Sept 25: The battle line has finally been drawn as the election tribunal of Peshawar high Court has given a go-ahead signal to a two-member commission to recount the rejected votes and postal ballot papers of PK-90 upper Chitral on September 30. Talking to ChitralToday on phone from Peshawar, MPA Ghulam Muhammad, who is a respondent in the case, said that the two-men commission has been directed to dash to Chital and recount the votes on September 30. The election tribunal in its order, a copy of which is available with ChitralToday, has issued directives to district returning officer (district and sessions judge) Chitral to extend all possible help to the two-member commission. The commission, which has been entrusted with the gigantic task to resolve the issue, comprises Shafique Ahmad, former joint provincial election commissioner Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Riaz Ahmad Khattak, a law officer Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). The commission will start the recounting of rejected votes, postal ballot papers and three votes which, Saradr Hussain, who is a petitioner in the case, had alleged were mistakenly dropped into the National Assembly ballot boxes by mistake and were declared rejected. The tribunal has also directed the commission not to disclose the results and submit its report to the tribunal within two weeks after the recounting process, which is scheduled for September 30, adding the election tribunal will announce the results by itself in presence of both the candidates in Peshawar. The district police officer, district accounts officer and district election commissioner Chitral have also been issued directives to make foolproof security arrangements on the occasion to avoid any untoward incident. However, Ghulam Muhammad, the incumbent member provincial assembly, reiterated that he would emerge victorious as his hands are clear and he had done nothing in the whole election process. “I’ve a firm belief that Allah almighty always helps those who are right [and] once the recounting is over, everything will be crystal clear,” he added. At the same, our sources present on the premises of the election tribunal came up with interesting comments about the body language of the two archrivals. They disclosed that Mr Shah was feeling a bit down due to cough and cold or it could also be the mounting pressure as the cat will be out from the bag only after two weeks. They also said that some members of the provincial assembly were also seen in the court for their own business, and they also showed great enthusiasm to know about the petitioner who had challenged the results of their colleague. And Ghulam Muhammad, fully upbeat to steal the show, kept on introducing Mr Shah to them in Pashto with a big smile on his face, saying: “da zama hamdard dei, da zama ror dei, his khabara na da, ka da ogatala za ba da ta da gulanoo har ower owa chom [this is my friend, my brother and if he wins, I will, place a garland of roses around his neck.]]>