PESHAWAR
All arrangements have been completed by Election Commission of Pakistan for holding of free, fair and transparent Local Government (LG) Election in 17 districts of Khyber Pakthunkhwa today (Sunday).
According to Provincial Election Commission (PEC), the election campaign ended last night on Saturday with the polling would start at 8.00 a.m and continue till 5.00p.m without any break in all 17 districts wherein over 77,000 policemen and law enforcers have been deployed outside of polling stations and booths for security of voters.
Quick Response Force’s personnel will act nearby areas of responsibility for immediately responding to any untoward situation on Election Day. A total 9,223 polling stations and 28,892 polling booths were set up out of which 4,188 polling stations were declared sensitive and 2,507 most sensitive. CCTV cameras have been installed on sensitive and most sensitive polling stations and display of arms or carrying of weapons and electronic devices including mobile phones inside polling stations would not be allowed.
Over 12.668 million registered voters including 7,015,767 male and 5,653,095 female would decide fate of 37,752 candidates contesting for different seats in Peshawar, Nowshera, Charsadda, Khyber, Mohmand, Mardan, Swabi, Kohat, Karak, Hangu, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, DI Khan, Tank, Haripur, Buner and Bajaur districts.
About 689 candidates are in run for 689 tehsils, 19,285 for general seats of village and neighborhood councils, 3,870 for women, 7,428 for farmers and labour, 6,011 for youth and 293 for minorities.
In the wake of Peshawar High Court’s judgement, LG elections are being held on political parties’ basis in Khyber Pakthunkhwa where candidates have fielded political heavyweights as well as newcomers to secure maximum seats.
The mainstream political parties have pitched experienced candidates and newcomers to win maximum seats. For Peshawar tehsil mayor seat, PTI has awarded ticket to business tycoon Rizwan Bangash, ANP’s Sher Rehman, PPP’s Arbab Zarak Khan, JUIF’s Zubar Ali and Jumat e Islami’s Behrullah Khan advocate whom were trying luck on Jumat e Islami’s seat.
The candidates, who won tehsils’ seats in five divisional headquarters at Peshawar, Mardan, Kohat, Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan cities would be called ‘Mayor’ while elected candidates of 61 others tehsils be called Chairman.
Complaints cell has been set up for polling day at Peshawar where people can register their complaints on phone number 091-9214137. As today is the last day of the election campaign, therefore, electioneering has reached its climax in these districts where most of the candidates did their last effort and addressed corner meetings and public rallies to win maximum voters’ support. They held door to door campaigns to woo support of large Bardaris ahead of the D-Day.
In Peshawar, great booms are being witnessed ahead of the polling day where candidates and their supporters installed posters, billboards and Pana-flex as part of their publicity campaign to attract voters.
