PESHAWAR, May 2: Four different election tribunals of the Peshawar High Court on Friday put on notices seven lawmakers and sought reply from them in connection with election petitions challenging their election to the National and provincial assemblies.

An election tribunal comprising Justice Said Maroof Khan took up for preliminary hearing three separate election petitions challenging the election of MNAs Muneer Orakzai and Noor Alam Khan and MPA, Alamzeb Khan.

The petition against Mr Orakzai was filed by Akhundzada Ubaidullah, a losing candidate from NA-38, Kurram Agency, charging Mr Orakzai of massive rigging.

Advocate Wali Khan Afridi appeared for the petitioner and contended that some of the polling stations the number of votes cast were more then the number of registered voters in that station. He argued that there were thousands of such voters he did not possess national identity cards but they were still permitted to cast votes.

The counsel argued that in one of the polling station the concerned election staffs was appointed on Feb 13 but on Feb 17, a day before the polling, the entire staff was replaced with persons of the choice of Mr Orakzai. He added widespread irregularities had taken place during polling in the said constituency.

The tribunal admitted the petition to regular hearing and put on notice e Mr Orakzai. The tribunal fixed May 12 for next hearing.

Similarly, another losing candidate from NA-3, Peshawar, Hashim Babar of ANP, has filed an election petition against the winning candidate Noor Alam Khan of PPP. He has charged the winning candidate with rigging of polls and has also alleged that the concerned returning officer favoured his rival.

Advocate Qazi Muhammad Anwer represented Mr Babar. He contended that the concerned returning officer consolidated the results in the absence of the petitioner which was violation of the Representation of Peoples Act.

The petitioner had lost with a margin of 837 votes and had also filed application for recounting of the votes, but his plea was turned down by the returning officer. The tribunal put on notice Mr Noor Alam directing him to file written reply to the petition. May 12 was fixed for the next hearing.

Another petition filed by a losing candidate from PF-1, Peshawar, Muhammad Akber Khan Mohmand, against MPA Alamzeb Khan of ANP charging him of stuffing bogus votes. The petitioner had lost with a margin of 548 votes.

The tribunal admitted the petition to regular hearing and put on notice the petitioner. May 12 was fixed for next hearing.

Another election tribunal comprising Justice Syed Yahya Zahid Gillani put on notice an MNA, Mahbubullah Khan, and MPA, Maulana Obaidullah, both hailing from Kohistan. Mahbub and Maualna Obaidullah, who are close relatives, had won as independent candidates but later on they joined PPP and ANP, respectively.

Haji Misr Khan of PPP had lost with a margin of 688 votes on NA-23, Kohistan, has challenged the election of Mahbub. Similarly, former MPA Maulvi Dildar Ahmad of MMA, who lost with a narrow margin of 98 votes on PF-61, Kohistan, challenged the election of Maulana Obaidullah.

Both the petitioners have alleged that the rival winning candidates had indulged in various unfair practices. They alleged that some former employees of Maulana Obaidullah, who is an ex-district nazim, were appointed as polling officers in some of the polling stations. The tribunal put on notice both the winning candidates and fixed May 12 for next hearing.

Meanwhile, an election tribunal comprising Justice Ziauddin Khattak issued notice to the MNA, Akhundzada Chittan, through the secretary of the National Assembly.

The tribunal took up for hearing two identical election petitions filed by losing candidates on NA-44, Bajaur Agency, Shahabuddin Khan and Gul Dad Khan. The petitioners alleged that Mr Chittan had produced forged graduation degree with his nomination papers.

They stated that Mr Chittan was not a graduate, which was a mandatory condition for a candidate to contest the Feb 18 general elections. The tribunal fixed May 16 for next hearing.

Another tribunal comprising Justice Hamid Farooq Durrani put on notice the provincial minister for prisons, Mian Nisar Gul, in an election petition filed by a former provincial minister, Fareed Toofan of PPP. The tribunal fixed May 16 for next hearing and sought a reply from the respondent.