Pak: Pashtun leader Mohsin Dawar injured while protesting against rigged polls

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa [Pakistan], February 11 (ANI): The former Member of the National Assembly and the Central Chairman of the National Democratic Movement (NDM) Mohsin Dawar was critically injured in an open firing incident in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Dawn reported.
After receiving multiple bullet injuries the prominent Pashtun leader was taken to the district hospital of North Wazaristan on Saturday, his fellow party leader Bushra Gohar confirmed Dawn.
The event unfolded during his protest over the delay in election results in his constituency, NA-40. The politician also alleged that the results of his constituency's elections were rigged. Taking the matter to the social media platform X, Dawar had also said, "As of the latest results received so far in my constituency NA-40 North Waziristan, I am leading the polls but there are blatant attempts to rig the final results. 27 Presiding officers are being held hostage at Shewa Qila. FC Personnel are forcing them to sign blank Form-45."

As of the latest results received so far in my constituency NA-40 North Waziristan, I am leading the polls but there are blatant attempts to rig the final results. 27 Presiding officers are being held hostage at Shewa Qila. FC Personnel are forcing them to sign blank Form-45.

— Mohsin Dawar (@mjdawar) February 9, 2024

Gohar also condemned firing on Dawar calling it a "cowardly attack", and claiming that the attack was orchestrated by the Election Commission of Pakistan.
Taking her concerns to X, she said, "Strongly condemns the cowardly attack on #NDM chairperson @MohsinDawar & party workers in #NorthWazirustan. Mohsin & NDM workers are badly injured. @ECP_Pakistan is responsible for this."

Strongly condemn the LEAs firing at unarmed @NDM_Official leaders and cadres injuring the party chairman @mjdawar and killing three. The responsibility rests squarely with the army chief Asim Munir and his caretaker minion Anwaar Kakar who are presiding over an election fraud

— Mohammad Taqi (@mazdaki) February 10, 2024

This attack upon Dawar is has been orchestrated merely a month after he had survived a similar attack on his convoy during an election rally in KPK's tribal districts. According to the statement quoted by the Dawn, other than Dawar several other party workers were also injured during the open fire incident. Gohar also said that she had demanded the district administration of KPK to take adequate action regarding the incident but was not able to contact them.
In the Dawn report, Gohar has also stated that NDM leaders were in the process of filing an official complaint over the incident. They claim that the personnel from the law enforcement had opened fire on Dawar's protest. However, no statement from the police has yet been issued in this regard, according to Dawn.
Dawar raised the issue of polling agents being attacked during elections earlier as well. At that time Dawar had highlighted that three female polling agents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Tappi have been attacked by the Taliban during the ongoing general elections. However, the three women escaped the blast very narrowly.
NDM leader Dawar further asked the District Returning Officer (DRO) to change the polling stations in Tappi, however, his letter was ignored.
Moreover, he also asked the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to take notice of the security situation in Tappi urgently.
"Three of our female polling agents in Tappi have been attacked by the Taliban. They have escaped the blast very narrowly. I had written to the DRO to change the polling stations in Tappi but my letter was ignored. The ECP has to take notice of the security situation in Tappi urgently," NDM leader Mohsin Dawar said in a post shared on X. (ANI)