In unofficial results, Harish Jajoo edged Pakistani American attorney and investment manager Farha Ahmed on June 11 in the runoff election for the city council seat in District 4 in Sugar Land.
Jajoo secured 1,473 or 52.38 per cent of the total votes, while 1,340 or 47.62 per cent polled for Ahmed. Jajoo had a 915-724 advantage in pre-Election Day balloting, while Ahmed polled better on voting day, getting 616 votes to 559 for her opponent.
The tight contest was marred by a flier, circulated before the election and quoting a Pakistani newspaper, erroneously insinuated that Ahmed would represent Afia Sidique, a woman dubbed as "Lady al Qaeda," in a criminal case.
Siddiqui is a US-educated Pakistani neuroscientist who was sentenced to 86 years in prison in a New York District Court in 2010 for trying to shoot US soldiers at a police station in Afghanistan in 2008. She was shown on the flier in two grainy mug shots along with Ahmed's photo.
Ahmed issued a statement saying she is a civil litigation attorney and could not represent Siddiqui in a criminal case.
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