Shangla’s NA-10 constituency may see re-polling under the provisions of the Election Act, 2017 which require the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to declare an election null and void if women’s turnout in a constituency is less than 10 per cent of its total polled votes.
The total number of votes polled in Shangla NA-10, where the PML-N’s Ebadullah Khan emerged victorious, stands at 128,302, of which women’s votes account for 12,663 – 9.8pc – of the total votes polled.
The Free and Fair Election Network (Fafen) has also highlighted the NA-10 constituency in its report on the conduct of the July 25 elections, noting that the women voter turnout was below the mandatory 10pc.
ANP candidate Saeed ur Rehman, who was the runner-up with a margin of fewer than 1,500 votes, says he is hopeful that election will be held again in the constituency.
He also claims that the July 25 polls were rigged by the PML-N candidate.
Published in Daily Times, July 29th 2018.
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