LANDI KOTAL: Independent candidate Suhbat Khan Afridi on Saturday announced the boycott of election in NA-44, Bara, accusing his rival candidates of violating the campaign expenditure limit set by the Election Commission of Pakistan.

He told reporters at Bara Press Club that some wealthy candidates were not only bribing voters to drum up their support but they were also securing guarantees from them for casting vote for them on July 25.

Mr Afridi said he along with some other candidates had informed the returning officer for Bara about the matter but no action had been taken on it.

Accuses rivals of violating campaign expense limit

“I have solid evidence of some candidates ensuring the voters support in election by offering them cash and goods but the Election Commission of Pakistan officials are not ready to listen to my repeated complaints and therefore, I announced the boycott of the July 25 elections,” he said.

Candidates Haji Iqbal Afridi of the PTI and Shah Faisal Afridi of the Jamaat-i-Islami also made similar allegation.

NA-44 returning officer Asmatullah Wazir wasn’t available for comments.

Meanwhile, NA-43 candidates Haji Shahji Gul and Allama Noorul Haq Qadri have also accused each other of violating the ECP’s campaign expenditure limit.

Mr Shahji Gul is contesting election as an independent candidate and Mr Qadri as the PTI nominee.

In their separate applications to NA-43 returning officer Zahid Usman Kakakhel, the two demanded each other’s disqualification from contesting election.

They are aggressively campaigning for themselves. They’ve set a number of election camps in different localities of the constituency and are regularly holding rallies and door-to-door campaign.

The two have also hired a large number of public transport vehicles and are serving food to their supporters three times a day.

The NA-43 returning officer wasn’t available for comments on the allegations.

Published in Dawn, July 8th, 2018