PESHAWAR: Polling for the first phase of Local Government (LG) elections is underway in 17 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). The voting process will continue till 5 pm without any break.
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More than 12.6 million registered voters – 7mn male and 5.6mn women – will exercise their rights to franchise during the first phase of elections. The districts where elections are underway are Nowshera, Charsadda, Khyber, Mohmand, Mardan, Swabi, Kohat, Karak, Hangu, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, DI Khan, Tank, Haripur, Buner and Bajaur. The ECP has postponed election on Dera Ismail Khan’s city mayor seat after the murder the Awami National party candidate, Umar Khitab Sherani, by unknown assailants a day before the polls.
Each voter will cast six votes – for the seat of Mayor City Council and Chairman Tehsil Council, the voter will be provided white color ballot, gray color for Neighborhood and Village Council and pink ballot paper for women’s seat.
A total of 19,282 candidates are vying for general seats in 2,359 Village and Neighborhood Councils (VCNC), while the number of female candidates for the same number of VCNC seats is 3,905. Similarly, 7,513 candidates are contesting for the seats of Mazdoor and Kisan seats, 290 for youth and 282 for minorities, besides 689 candidates for mayor or chairman seats of 63 tehsil councils of 17 districts.
Security arrangements
A total of 9,223 polling stations and 28,892 polling booths have been set up in which 4,188 polling stations have been declared sensitive and 2,507 more sensitive. The committee, comprising deputy commissioners, District Police Officers (DPOs ) and district election officers has decided criteria for ‘sensitive’ and most ‘sensitive’ and ‘normal’ polling stations.
The KP government has deployed a total of 77,000 police personnel to ensure peaceful election while a quick response force comprising 10,000 men Frontier Constabulary and Army personnel will be available throughout the Election Day. Polling stations have been divided into three different categories. Polling stations that are in the most sensitive or overcrowded areas are placed in A category.
A total of 9 personnel will be deployed on polling stations in category A, five on each station in Category B and three on in stations in Category C. The police have urged the election candidate not to visit polling stations on the Election Day.