ANP leader alleges pre-poll rigging

NOWSHERA: Awami National Party (ANP) General Secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain Tuesday said the announcement of development projects and distribution of funds ahead of the local government elections was a pre-poll rigging.
Talking to reporters here, he said that though the provincial government had pledged to conduct free and fair elections, the ANP has reservations over upcoming local government elections.
He said the ANP considered the announcement of development projects, distribution of funds and rallies by the chief minister and parliamentary secretaries in their constituencies as a pre-poll rigging.
Mian Iftikhar Hussain said after the issuance of the schedule for any elections, chief minister, parliamentary secretaries or government officials cannot run election campaign.He said that the ANP had reservations as well over the demarcation of constituencies for the polls.
The ANP leader alleged that the government had carried out the demarcation of the constituencies on the basis of personal likes and dislikes to get results of their choice in the local bodies polls. “But despite all these injustices we will contest the elections,” he added.He urged the Election Commission to take note of the ‘pre-poll’ rigging and address the reservations of the opposition parties to pave the way for conducting free and fair elections.
Mian Iftikhar said that the ANP had written an application to the Judicial Commission formed to probe the allegation of rigging in the May 2013 general elections to look into the rigging in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.He said the party has also provided evidence of rigging to the Judicial Commission.Earlier, speaking at a function about the World Sports Day and inauguration of Sports Festival at Bacha Khan Model School as chief guest, Mian Iftikhar said that games were imperative for the health and fitness of children.