APML candidate in Laspur refuses to accept defeat

MASTUJ, May 31: The All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) candidate for district council seat from UC Laspur has refused to accept the victory of his rival belonging to the PTI alleging rigging in the May 30 local government elections.
Talking to ChitralToday on phone, a resident of Sor Laspur said that Zulfi Hunar Shah of the PTI was leading by about 90 votes but the APML candidate Abdul Aziz refused to sign the paper in front of the presiding officer and said he would challenge his defeat and demand re-polling at least in two polling stations where he alleged systematic rigging by the polling staff.
The APML candidate alleged that at the polling station of Raman, the presiding officer created hindrance for the voters, especially women, to cast their votes restricting the total votes cast to around 700 out of the total 2,200. He said the presiding officer at the Sor Laspur polling station also adopted a similar tactics to benefit the PTI candidates. He said the polling officials were close relatives of the PTI candidate.
He said the PTI candidate had reached Booni to file a complaint seeking re-polling in the polling stations.
Talking to ChitralToday, PPP candidate Imtiaz Ali Khan also said a systematic rigging was carried out to pave the way for the victory of the PTI candidate. He said that in Sor Laspur areas, votes were cast even for people who are not alive. He said the election officials, especially teachers, were brought to specific polling stations with a motive to get the PTI candidate win the elections. He said some of the election staff had earlier been deputed on duty in other areas but they were brought to Sor Laspur hours before the elections.
When contacted, PTI’s councilor-elect Zulfi Hunar Shah rejected all the allegations and said it was going to be a referendum for him but his opponents themselves tried to rig the elections in many stations but failed and were now making the allegations. ]]>