ECP holds “free, fair, peaceful polls”: CEC

Chief Election Commissioner, Justice (Retd.) Qazi Muhammad Farooq Monday said the Election Commission of Pakistan fulfilled its duty by holding free, fair and transparent General Elections-2008 across the country in a peaceful environment.
Addressing a jam-packed first press conference hours after the close of polling for election-2008, he lauded the role of media towards maximizing the voters’ participation in the polling process. Qazi Muhammad Farooq, on the occasion, also announced some of the provisional results compiled so far.
To questions regarding the violent incidents on the polling day, he said such incidents occur during elections and however added that these incidents took place outside the polling stations. When asked about the possibility of recounting of votes on the complaints of rigging at some polling stations, Qazi Farooq said decision in this regard will made by the Election Commission. He announced the results of NA-43 and 44 and also of PB-1.
According to the results, independent candidate Shaukatullah won the election from NA-43 FATA-8 with 7428 votes; Syed Akhund Zada, independent, received 6257 votes to return successful from NA-44 FATA-9 while Shafiq Ahmed Khan was declared winner from PB-1 with 6169 votes.