PESHAWAR
The provincial election commissioner Muhammad Raziq has urged the provincial government and other departments concerned to provide all required facilities to voters in the second phase of local government elections.
He said all registered voters including women should not be deprived of casting their votes on the polling in remaining districts of KP.
Speaking to a delegation of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Women’s Commission at the office, who met him today on various issues related to women’s electoral process.
Headed by Dr Rafat Sardar, the members of the commission were former MPAs.
Nasreen Khattak and Dr Syeda Kaniz Fatima, Program Director Amna Durrani and JAND and Communication Officer Naseem Iqbal were also part of the delegation.
Shinwari, Senior PRO Sohail Ahmed and Assistant Director Gender Affairs Miss Hina Khan were also present on the occasion.
The provincial election commissioner said that in order to provide equal opportunities to the people, voters, candidates and leaders of political parties as well as them to participate in the election process, non-discriminatory implementation of the pre-election code of conduct in all cases.
Ensuring that in the first phase, male voter turnout was recorded at 36.3pc and female at 20.3pc which needs to be further enhanced, he said, adding that the voter turnout was further enhanced with the help of civil society.
Mr Raziq said that the second phase of elections to be held on March 31 is being held in 65 tehsil councils in 18 districts in which a total of more than 8 million 57 thousand voters will exercise their franchise.
He informed the delegation that in the second phase, 651 candidates for the posts of City Mayor and Tehsil Chairman,
Among the 12980 candidates for general seats, 2668 for women seats, 6451 for labor and farmer seats, 5213 for youth seats and 57 for minority seats in Village and Neighborhood Councils.
He said that so far, 351 candidates have been elected unopposed in village and neighborhood council general seats, 533 in women seats, 151 in labor and farmer seats, 233 in youth seats and 50 in minority seats.
Various awareness workshops were being organized in local press clubs and universities in these 18 districts to create awareness among the people, he added.
He further said that the observers with the card issued by the Election Commission can observe the election process inside the polling station.
On the occasion, the head of the Women’s Commission presented the charter of demand to the commissioner and said that he was setting up a women’s grievance center in his office on the day of polling so that any complaint could be lodged with the Election Commission immediately. He thanked the Provincial Election Commissioner and assured him of his full cooperation.
