HARIPUR: The returning officer announced the final candidates’ list for the NA-18 Haripur by-election. The seat was rendered vacant due to the disqualification of the National Assembly member from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Umar Ayub Khan.
After the examination, the Returning Officer Naveed ur Rehman had written down Form 32 for NA-18 by-election. He has accepted the nomination papers of 13 candidates and rejected the papers of one candidate.
The candidates for by-elections are Aram Fatima Turk of PPP, PML-N’s Baber Nawaz Khan, Pir Sabir Shah, Sardar Muhammad Mushtaq, and Sahibzada Hamid Shah while PTI’s Shehnaz Umar Ayub has been also certified.
The officer declined the papers of Abdul Rasheed Tanoli, who is the UC Chairman in Haripur.
After all, PTI had raised objections against PML-N’s candidate Baber Nawaz Khan. Yet, the returning officer Naveed ur Rehman turned down all the objections.
The NA-18 Haripur by-election will see its polling on November 23. A close contest between PML-N’s Baber Nawaz and PTI’s Shehnaz Umar Ayub is anticipated with much possibility.
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A court ruling regarding legal disputes led to the disqualification of the former opposition leader Umar Ayub Khan on May 9, thus, the NA-18 Haripur seat was vacated.
KP govt withdraws transfer of Haripur DC on Election Commission’s orders
Following instructions from the Election Commission, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has retracted the notification regarding the transfer of the Deputy Commissioner of Haripur.
On October 4, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government issued a notification that removed Muhammad Waseem, a Grade 18 officer, from his position as Deputy Commissioner of Haripur and appointed him as Deputy Commissioner of Swabi, while Islahuddin was assigned as the new Deputy Commissioner of Haripur.
However, since by-elections are being held in Haripur, the Election Commission has prohibited any transfers until the election results are announced. Despite this ban, the provincial government proceeded with the transfer of the Deputy Commissioner of Haripur.
Once the Election Commission became aware of this action, it issued directives for the provincial government to immediately withdraw the notification. In compliance with the Election Commission’s orders, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has retracted the appointment notification for the Deputy Commissioner of Haripur.
