PESHAWAR: Amirullah Marwat, whose election result on NA-27 Lakki Marwat was held back until re-polling on a number of polling stations, said on Thursday that the Supreme Court of Pakistan is taking up the appeal against withholding election results in Lakki Marwat and Nowshera today (Friday). The Peshawar High Court (PHC) had delayed the notification of ‘victory’ on NA-27 and NA-5 Nowshera after complaints that woman voters were denied the right to vote. On both the seats, PTI candidates are leading with a huge margin. On NA-27, Amirullah was contested by Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl’s Maulana Ataur Rahman, brother of Maulana Fazlur Rahman. The PHC directed the authorities to hold re-polling in dozens of the polling stations to allow women the opportunity to use their right to franchise. In NA-27, re-polling on at least 20 polling stations was ordered where female turnout remained zero. Amirullah and Imran Khattak, candidate on NA-5 Nowshera, have challenged the PHC verdict. The appeal seeks quashing of the PHC order and issuance of notification of their victory.Amirullah, who claims to be winning with a margin of more than 7,000 votes, denies he or his supporters stopped women from casting votes in any manner. “We have not used force to stop women from casting votes. In no way, I was involved,” he claimed and added government officials confirmed it. The candidate said the Election Commission of Pakistan was investigating whether women were coerced away from casting votes in Lakki Marwat or they chose on their free will to stay away from the process. He said a committee comprising district returning officer, returning officer, district election officer, deputy commissioner and district police officer had been formed to conduct investigation into the issue. The PTI leader said it was everyone’s free choice to use or not their right to vote. “If women can’t be stopped from casting vote by force, they can’t be dragged out by force to make them cast vote,” he argued. He said women did come out to cast vote in Lakki Marwat as their turnout stood at 25.13 per cent, higher than several constituencies in the province and country. He said re-election was not held in any constituency in general elections though women were barred from casting vote. He complained the PTI candidates were singled out for discriminatory treatment. “Even in the August 22 by-election in Bannu, where Azam Khan Durrani won, women did not cast votes in several polling stations but his notification was not withheld,” he claimed. In support of his claim, he said that in polling stations number 53, 68, 69, 72, 73, 80, 83, 86, 87, 88 and 89 in PK-70 turnout of women voting was zero. “Why re-polling was not ordered in these polling stations?” he asked. ,...... ............. important question asked by Amir Ul Allah
Posted on: Wed, 04 Sep 2013 02:17:36 +0000
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