PESHAWAR
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) finally deferred the second phase of local government elections due to ‘topographic and ‘weather’ conditions in remaining 18 districts of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), said a notification issued here on Monday.
According to the notification local government polls in Abbottabad, Mansehra, Battagram, Kohistan, Torghar, Swat, Shangla, Chitral, Lower Dir, Lower Dir, and other hilly areas scheduled to be held on 27th March 2022.
It is pertinent to mention here that ECP in its first phase had conducted local government elections for village councils, neighbourhood councils and tehsil councils in 17 districts of the province on December 19, 2021.
Earlier ECP has set Dec 19, 2021 date for the first phase and January 2022 for the second phase. However, the date for the second phase of LG polls was delayed due to weather conditions.
“Due to blockage of roads and other communication modes, the process of election may be affected and about 80% voters may be deprived of voting due to lack of transportation and other communication modes” the notification read.
The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has suffered a huge setback as Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUIF) followed by the Awami National Party (ANP) won the majority of the seats in the city, tehsil councils as well as village and neighbourhood councils in the first phase of LG polls held on December 19.
After the results of the first phase, the JUIF is ahead by winning most of the city and tehsil councils in the first phase of the polls in 17 districts, followed by PTI and ANP.
