PESHAWAR: The chief election commissioner on Monday disqualified Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Minister for transport Shah Muhammad Wazir and his son Mamun ul-Rasheed for five years after they were found guilty of attacking polling stations in Bannu, Southern Pakhtunkhwa.
The judgement said that they were also provide guilty of snatching election material from polling staff during the local government elections on 18 December, 2021.
The Election Commission has issued its judgement in case relating to the disruption of election process due to mob attacks on polling stations in Bakakhel Tehsil of Bannu district. The Election Commission has disqualified the provincial minister Shah Muhammad Wazir and his son for five years under Article-218 of the Election Act. The ECP has also de-notified Wazir after member KP assembly.
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The provincial minister and his son will not be able to contest elections for the next five years as both were involved in the attacks on Bakakhel polling station. The Election Commission has also decided to register a criminal case against Shah Muhammad’s son and thus he will not be able to contest elections till the case is decided.
The ECP also directed to take departmental action against Assistant Presiding Officers Mohabbat Khan, Hameedullah and Qudratullah. The ECP also ordered the police to register cases and launched further investigation against them.
On 18 December, the election commission of Pakistan had postponed voting in Bakakhel Tehsil over deteriorated law and order situation. The District Returning Officer (DRO) Bannu and the District Police Officer (DPO) has informed the election commission about unfortunate incidents of attacks on polling stations and deteriorated law and order situation.
The election controversy erupted in the area when the masked men stormed the polling stations and looted the polling material. Chief Election Commissioner had formed three-member committee to investigate the matter and submit report to the ECP. On the eve of Local Government (LG) elections in Bakakhel Tehsil, unidentified persons had abducted the staff of five polling stations along with election materials. The district administration had rescued the abducted staff but that the ECP had postponed polling.
The election in the area is now scheduled on 13 February.