Mastuj police stop MNA from electioneering

MASTUJ, April 12: Hours after the end of the election campaign in the seven polling stations of upper Chitral, MNA Shahzada Iftikharuddin was stopped by the Mastuj police from electioneering in the Lakhap locality on Saturday evening.
However, the MNA while talking to ChitralToday denied the report and said he was at his home.
Our sources said some people tried to manhandle the MNA for allegedly distributing money among the voters in Lakhap area but he was rescued away by the police. Mastuj police station Muharar Amiruddin told ChitralToday that SHO Amir Shah was on a routine patrolling in the Lakhap area when he intercepted the MNA who was going towards some houses to seek votes for the APML candidate and suspended MPA Ghulam Muhammad. He said  the SHO told the MNA that the time for campaigning had already ended under the rules. He said the SHO later led the MNA towards the Mastuj Fort.
When the SHO was contacted, he first denied that he had intercepted the MNA. However, when pressed, the SHO said he was on patrolling when he saw the MNA in the area on Saturday evening. “I escorted the MNA to the Mastuj Fort so that he may not wander here and there,” said the SHO. He added that PPP leader Anwar Khan was also in the area and staying in a hotel and the police were keeping a vigil eye on all of them so that they cannot break the election commission rule by campaigning before the polling tomorrow. —Zulfiqar Ahmad

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