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Published 13 May, 2013 03:26am

Rift on PK-37 result: Boost for PTI in Kohat, Hangu

KOHAT, May 12: All the old faces except one candidate have lost to the new and upcoming politicians on two National Assembly and five provincial assembly seats of Kohat and Hangu in Saturday’s general elections.

Mufti Said Janan of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Fazl) contesting elections for PK-43, Hangu-II was the only candidate so far who retained his seat as MPA, according to unofficial results.

According to official result declared by the Election Commission of Pakistan, Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf candidate for NA-14 Shehryar Afridi had emerged as winner by securing 67,123 votes, while the runner up JUI-F’s Seth Gohar Saifullah could manage 33,356 votes.

In PK-37, former provincial minister Amjid Afridi was leading with his 18,001 votes against JUI-F candidate Ghulam Habib, who had so far got 16,406 votes.

In a related development, all the defeated 11 candidates had gathered at the house of JUI-F candidate for PK-37 Ghulam Habib and rejected the polling results in which Amjid Afridi had been declared as winner.

The third contestant, Nawabzada Alam Khan of PTI, who had got 14,729 votes had also gathered the aggrieved candidates who were making a joint strategy for demanding re-election on the seat after recounting.

When contacted, an election commission official, Nauman Khan, told Dawn that the final result of the PK-37 had been compiled in the evening after they learnt that it had become disputed.

However, he said that if the candidates went to the court the dispute would be decided there and if they wanted recounting of votes it could be done by the returning officer.

He said that the candidates were alleging that rigging had been done and money used in the election by the winner.

It had been learnt that the result for PK-37 was delayed due to late arrival of polling staff and refusal of the candidates to accept ballots from several polling agents.

“Senator Abbas Afridi, brother of the winning candidate Amjid Afridi, has fully interfered in the counting process after which the other candidates refused to accept the results,” said Shaukat Habib, son of the JUI-F candidate.

The disgruntled candidates alleged that the so-called winning candidate had also distributed laptops and motorcycles to bribe the people and get votes.

In PK-38 (Kohat city) Ziaullah Bangash of PTI defeated two-time MPA Qalbe Hassan. Mr Bangash had remained a clerk at the KDA office, Kohat, and later joined an NGO for living. Mr Bangash got 20,722 votes against Mr Hassan’s 11,335.

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