Counting of votes throughout 17 districts underway in KP

Tensions ran excessive in numerous elements of the province, with not less than 4 folks killed and eight others injured in a collection of assaults together with a suicide bombing and a capturing. There have been additionally stories of rockets being fired.

Polling within the 17 districts in the present day, together with Peshawar, Charsadda, Nowshehra, Mardan, and Peshawar, marked the primary section of the native physique polls, with the subsequent section to happen at a later date.

Strict safety preparations have been made, with a complete of 79,479 police and different legislation enforcement companies’ personnel deployed within the districts the place balloting happened.

Even then, legislation and order was damaged and a violence-marred starting to the native authorities elections within the province was witnessed.

No less than two folks have been killed and 6 others have been injured in a suicide blast in Bajaur’s Mamond tehsil.

As well as, two folks have been killed and three others have been injured in a firing incident close to a polling station in Takht Nusrati tehsil of Karak.

In keeping with police, the deceased included a cousin of PTI MNA Shahid Khattak and a gunman. Polling was stopped after the incident.

The perpetrators have been capable of escape after the assault.

Polling stations set ablaze in Darra Adam Khel
Violence additionally broke out in Darra Adam Khel, the place teams of individuals in opposition to the merger of the tribal districts, set fireplace to polling stations and votes and took some poll bins with them.

Ladies’s polling station attacked in Nowshera
In Nowshera’s Mir Misri Banda space the place a ladies’s polling station was attacked throughout polling time.

District Police Officer Imran Khan mentioned that an unbiased councillor candidate, Muzzaffar Khan, with some companions attacked the venue. The group broke six poll bins, tore up votes and even took some votes with them.

The DPO mentioned {that a} case in opposition to the candidate and 150 others is being registered and that efforts are underway to arrest the culprits.

It emerged that an argument broke out between some ladies voters on the venue of which the male family members took observe and descended upon the polling station to type.

The DPO mentioned that polling was stopped and the matter of re-polling will likely be addressed later.

Firing exterior ladies’s polling station in Lakki Marwat
Pictures have been fired between two teams exterior a ladies’s polling station in Multani Manijwala tehsil of Lakki Marwat. No casualties have been reported.

Baka Khel polls halted after rigging allegations
Moreover, the polling course of in Baka Khel tehsil of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district was halted after disruption within the legislation and order there.

A press release issued by the Election Fee of Pakistan (ECP) mentioned that the brand new date for polling in Baka Khel will likely be introduced later.

Chief of the Opposition in KP Meeting Akram Khan Durrani had levelled allegations in opposition to a provincial minister of PTI of storming into 5 polling stations in Baka Khel and taking the polling workers hostage.

Durrani, whereas talking to Geo Information, claimed that provincial minister Shah Muhammad Khan kidnapped the polling workers of 5 polling stations and took the polling materials with them.

He mentioned that the kidnapped polling workers members are “saved at a petroleum pump”.

Durrani additionally accused Khan of opening fireplace on the police. He mentioned that the related deputy commissioner and district police officer have been knowledgeable in regards to the matter however the administration appears helpless on this regard.

The ECP’s spokesperson mentioned that KP’s chief election commissioner has shaped a particular committee to probe the matter.

The three-member committee, comprising Secretary Zafar Iqbal, Common Regulation Further Khurram Shehzad and KP Election Director Khushal Zada, will current its report after investigation in seven days.

DIK mayoral elections postponed
Voting for the election of Dera Ismail Khan mayor metropolis council was deferred after ANP’s candidate Mohammad Umar Khattab was shot lifeless on Saturday.

Following the incident, the safety in DIK and close by districts was enhanced.

The polls in numbers
In keeping with the Election Fee of Pakistan (ECP), 12.66 million voter are registered throughout the 17 districts, with 7.015 million male voters and 5.653 million feminine voters.

As many as 37,752 candidates are within the working for various classes within the first section of the polls. Amongst these, 689 are within the run to steer town and tehsil councils whereas 19,285 candidates are within the run for the slot of normal councilors, chairman in village and neighbourhood councils.

Of the others, 3,905 candidates are flexing their muscle tissue for the seats for ladies councilors, 7,513 for peasant councilors, 6,081 for youth councilors and 282 for minority councilors.

As per stories, 876 ladies councilors have already been elected unopposed in numerous village and neighborhood councils throughout the province.

Numerous minority councilors have additionally been elected unopposed.

A complete of 9,223 polling stations and 28,892 polling cubicles have been arrange for in the present day’s elections.

Of those, 2,507 polling stations have been declared most delicate, 4,188 delicate, whereas 528 have been categorized as regular.

In the meantime, 860 polling stations have been designated as delicate, 165 as most delicate, and 224 as regular within the provincial capital.

Safety preparations
Round 11,000 policemen and personnel of different forces have been deployed for safety throughout polls in Peshawar alone.

An official mentioned that along with the police, Frontier Constabulary personnel can be deployed in over 200 most delicate polling stations within the provincial capital. Deployment to all of the polling stations has been accomplished.

Apart from the Ababeel squad, fast response power and different forces may even stay alert to hurry in case of any mishap in an space. The cops have been directed to not permit brandishing of weapons, aerial firing or creating any legislation and order.

Inspector-Common of Police Moazzam Jah Ansari chaired a gathering on the safety preparations for the polls on Saturday and directed the officers to make sure foolproof safety.

For the primary time, cops from the erstwhile tribal areas have additionally been deployed in numerous districts of the province for election safety obligation.

At present marks the primary time that native authorities polls are being held in districts of the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) .