ECP orders release of two detained candidates of North Waziristan

PESHAWAR – The Election Commission of Pakistan Friday ordered release of two detained contesting candidates of North Waziristan tribal district within a day, said a spokesman of Election Commission Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

A three-member election commission bench head by Chief Election Commissioner Justice Sardar Raza heard the petition of the two detained tribal candidates Arif Wazir and Iqbal Mehsud and ruled that only the district monitoring officer is authorized to take any action against the candidates after the issuance of election schedule.

The bench maintained that the respective institutions can take action on the FIR once the election is completed.

The arrest of the candidates during the electioneering comes in the domain of pre-poll rigging, the bench argued. It merits to mention here that both the candidate were put behind the bar by district administration under 3-MPO for raising anti state slogans and hatred speeches.

It is further mention that the elections on 16 general seats of KP Assembly from merged areas are due for July 20.