PESHAWAR - Rejecting the polls result, activists of several political parties of district Bannu on Monday held a protest demonstration against the alleged rigging in the general elections by their opponents in connivance with the polling staff.
The protestors led by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Matiullah Khan, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Inamul Haq, PPP PK-73 loosing candidate Pakhtun Yar Khan and other leaders gathered here at the main Sadr Road near the central prison. They demanded removal of the district returning officer and district administration officer before the bye-election in the area.
The demonstrators holding placards and banners inscribed with the slogans against the alleged rigging by their opponent JUI-F leader and former chief minister Akram Khan Durrani and corrupt polling staff.
They blocked the main Sher Shah Suri Road for all kinds of traffic due to which motorists and commuters were stuck in their vehicles for several hours.
On the occasion, the demonstrators alleged that district returning officer and district administration rigged the entire election process in PK-73 Bannu, which brought the JUI-F candidate Malik Riaz Khan to success through bogus means and tactics. They termed the support of polling staff to their opponent and rigging in the entire election process in the district as injustice and sheer violation of the code of conduct of the Election Commission of Pakistan.
The demonstrators also urged the ECP to take prompt steps ahead of the bye-elections in the area to ensure free, fair and transparent elections in the constituency and also declared the PK-73 election as null and void.
They also appealed to the chief justice of the Supreme Court to take notice of the alleged rigging and irregularities in elections and bring the polling staff to the court of justice. The demonstrators also warned to keep continue their protest campaign if the district administration was not removed before the bye-election in the constituency.
PTI govt to cater to all needs
of police: Khattak
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister-designate Pervez Khan Khattak has said that the PTI government will cater to all needs of the Police Department, as lack of resources will not be made hurdle in this regard. However, he said that his government would rightly expect that police would give us 100 per cent results in respect of safeguarding lives, properties and honour of citizens.
He was addressing a briefing by IGP Inam Ghani about law and order, and crimes control in the province in Peshawar on Monday. The Speaker-designate Asad Qaisar, Shaukat Ali Yousafzai, MPA-elect and PTI provincial general secretary and other political leaders were also present on this occasion.
Khattak said that maintaining law and order as well as uprooting crimes and social evils were prime obligations of any government wherein role of police was of paramount importance that must be realised by all high and lower officials of the department. He said that the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa suffered a lot due to law and order situation.
He said that only durable peace could compensate all the miseries of masses.
He said that only a single incident of law and order could mar the overall performance of government and police.
He said that all institutions, including police had to work with harmony and cohesion for peace and public safeguard.