PESHAWAR: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has postponed Local government polls on Dera Ismail Khan’s city mayor seat after the murder Awami National party (ANP) candidate, Umar Khitab Sherani, by unknown assailants.
The election body said the polls schedule for other constituencies of the district will remain unchanged. There was tough contest expected among the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl and the Pakistan Peoples Party for DI Khan mayorship slot. But after the murder on ANP contestant in broad daylight, not only in DI Khan but the situation in the entire province is tense. The ECP has already declared 2207 polling station ‘most sensitive’.
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The President of the Awami National Party (ANP) in Dera Ismail Khan and candidate for the tehsil mayor Umar Khittab Sherani was shot killed by unknown assailants on Saturday. Police said that unknown gunmen opened fire on Sherani outside his house, killing him on the spot. Police added that the murder of the ANP candidate is a clear act of terrorism but the police is conducting further investigation.
Sherani was also the member of the DI Khan Bar council. A statement issued by the District Bar Association and High Court Bar Association after the incident said, “The murder in the broad day light speaks volumes about the failure and incompetence of the DI Khan police.”
Lawyers, ANP leadership and workers staged a protest against Sherani’s assassination and placed his body on the road in front of the town hall. Protesters chanted anti-government slogans, saying the government had failed to protect the political leadership. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mehmood Khan took notice of the tragedy and directed the police to submit report.
The local government elections will held in 17 districts – Nowshera, Charsadda, Khyber, Mohmand, Mardan, Swabi, Kohat, Karak, Hangu, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, DI Khan, Tank, Haripur, Buner and Bajaur – will held on Sunday. The polling will held for a total of 66 Tehsil Councils and 2382 Neighborhood and Village Council seats.