A presiding officer deputed at a women’s polling station in Peshawar was arrested along with her husband over allegations of rigging the local government elections.
A police party arrived at a polling station in the city’s neighbourhood council 34, Tehsil Gor Khatri, on Saturday night as leaders and workers of different political parties alleged ballot papers were being stamped in favour of PTI’s candidate.
The police took the accused presiding officer and her husband into custody and shifted them to a police station for their safety.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) took notice of the matter and changed the entire staff of the affected polling station.
It is reported that the opposition party workers caught the polling staff red-handed while allegedly stamping ballot papers. The workers tried to enter the polling station but the police kept them away.
Meanwhile, People’s Party (PPP) leader Nighat Orakzai claimed PTI workers were casting 5,000 “fake votes” in favour of their candidate.
She alleged that the PTI workers have been casting votes since morning.
Countering PPP allegations, Special Assistant to KP Chief Minister for Information Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif said that the opposition was playing tricks as they were aware of their failure in the election.
He said that the entire polling staff is deputed by the ECP.
Said said that ECP is an autonomous body and is responsible for holding free and fair elections.
He said that the government is fulfilling all its responsibilities to hold the election peacefully and will ensure the investigations into the alleged pre-poll rigging.
