Pakistan: Opposition party JUI-F protests 'rigging' in Dera Ismail Khan re-polling

The Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) activists on Tuesday held a protest demonstration against alleged rigging during the re-polling for the seat of Dera Ismail Khan city mayor in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and demanded the election commission to hold the elections afresh, local media reported.

The JUI-F leader Maulana Obaid-ur-Rehman led the protesters, who staged a sit-in at the GPO Chowk, carrying placards and banners, Dawn newspaper reported.

Addressing the protesters, the JUI-F leader accused the district administration and the election commission of rigging the polls, the Pakistani newspaper reported.

Obaid-ur-Rehman said they were given Form-17 of 173 polling stations, but results of more polling stations were given on plain paper. He demanded that the election commission hold the elections afresh, Dawn newspaper reported.

Meanwhile, the candidates contesting the Takht-i-Nusrati tehsil mayor seat along with their supporters blocked the Indus Highway in Karak against alleged rigging in the re-polling, Dawn newspaper reported.

It further reported that the protesters led by former provincial minister Malik Qasim Khan Khattak marched to the Indus Highway, and blocked it at the Amberi Kallay Chowk.

The protesters alleged Chief Minister Mahmood Khan had directly interfered in the election process and forced the district administration to ensure that the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf candidates won the three tehsil mayors' slots in Karak district, the Pakistani newspaper reported.

( With inputs from ANI )