KP LG polls: Female presiding officer, husband held over rigging allegations

PESHAWAR: A female presiding officer and her husband were arrested in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over rigging allegations ahead of local bodies elections in 17 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, ARY News reported on Saturday.

According to details, opposition parties including ANP and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) have accused the female presiding officer and her husband for stamping ballot papers in neighborhood Councils 33 and 34 of Peshawar.

Workers of different parties reached the polling stations and started chanting slogans against the ruling party for rigging allegations. They [opposition parties] blamed the presiding officer for stamping ballot papers in a local school in favor of PTI.

پی ٹی آئی امیدوار کے ساتھیوں کو میئر کے بیلٹ پیپرز کی کاپیاں دی گئیں،پولنگ سٹیشن کی انچارج حلیم شیرازی کی اہلیہ ہے، یہ ڈیوٹی کامران بنگش کے ایماء پر لگائی گئی ہے، میئر کے بیلٹ پیپرز لیک ہوچکے ہیں،کل استعمال ہونے کا خدشہ ہے#لالٹین_پہ_ٹھپہ pic.twitter.com/sxRi6Pxtas

— Awami National Party (@ANPMarkaz) December 18, 2021

Polling staff changed

Meanwhile, Assistant Provincial Election Commissioner Sharifullah also reached the spot and rescued the polling staff from the political activists.

Read More: FOUR MEMBERS OF A FAMILY KILLED IN FIRING OVER CAR IN KP

Talking to the media, the provincial election commissioner said the presiding officer and her husband had been arrested, adding that action would be taken against anyone found involved in the rigging. He also ordered to deploy new polling staff in neighborhood Councils 33 and 34 of Peshawar.

KP LG polls

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has finalised all arrangements for local government elections in 17 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

In the first phase of the LG polls, elections are being held in Peshawar and 16 other districts of the province on December 19. The polls in the rest of the province will be held in January in the second phase.

According to ECP spokesperson, 1248 polling stations have been set up in Peshawar, out of which 860 have been declared sensitive and 165 highly sensitive.