The Awami National Party (ANP) on Friday said it will move the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) against the NA-IV by-polls results, accusing the ruling party in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of rigging the election.
“The people of Peshawar support the ANP but its mandate has been stolen yet again,” ANP’s Khyber Pakthunkhwa General Secretary Sardar Hussain Babak told a press conference in Peshawar.
Babak said the ANP’s parliamentary leader in the KP assembly had also accused the provincial and federal governments of utilising government’s resources for rigging before and on the election day.
He also questioned the role of the security forces, alleging that the women’s polling station in Aza Khel was occupied by PTI activists and there was nobody to ensure free and fair elections.
The PTI succeeded in retaining the National Assembly seat, with its candidate Arbab Amir Ayub securing 45,734 votes, followed by ANP’s Khusdil Khan with 24,874 votes and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s Nasir Khan Musazai with 24,790 votes.
ANP provincial president and former chief minister Amir Haider Khan Hoti also rejected the results of the NA-4 by-poll accusing the ruling party in the province of rigging the election.
Addressing a party gathering at his hometown in Mardan, Hoti said the ANP would challenge the election results.
“There is no respect for votes and decisions are imposed on the masses,” he maintained.
He also raised questions on the impartiality of the ECP and said the polls supervisory body had failed to ensure a free and fair election.
Hoti appreciated the performance of the ANP candidate and said despite all hurdles, the party’s supporters tried their best to reach the polling stations.
