BAHAWALNAGAR: The supporters of two independent candidates on Wednesday took out a procession and distributed sweets to celebrate their favourites’ win some five years after the 2016 local bodies polls, as the two hopefuls clinched the offices of local municipal committee chairman and vice chairman just for eight days on the basis of a toss of coin as per a court order.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had declared Atif Rauf and Haji Abdul Majeed from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) panel as victorious by one vote in the elections for the offices of MC chairman and vice chairman, respectively, held in Dec 2016.

The runners-up independent candidates -- Riaz Shahid and Amjad Iqbal -- had challenged the ECP decision in an elections tribunal, that declared the polls void and ordered re-election. However, the decision of the tribunal was challenged in high court by the winning candidates affiliated with the PML-N.

The court declared the election tribunal decision as void and ordered that the winners would be decided by the toss of a coin.

On Dec 20 (Monday last), the two independent candidates won the toss and Riaz Shahid was declared as MC chairman and Amjad Iqbal vice chairman. To celebrate their win, their supporters distributed sweets and took out a rally here on Wednesday.

Interestingly, the PML-N’s Atif Rauf and Mr Qureshi remained chairman and vice chairman for two and a half years because of the returning officer’s decision, whereas the toss winners will only have eight days in their respective offices as their tenure ends on Dec 31st.

Published in Dawn, December 23rd, 2021