February 14, 2008	Thursday	Safar 06, 1429

PESHAWAR, Feb 13: The government claims that fair and transparent general elections will be held after four days but leaders of different political parties in Swat still doubt whether polls will be held at all in the area owing to the security concerns.

The candidates are also in a fix over bringing back to their hometowns their voters who have shifted to Karachi, Peshawar and other safer cities of the country. The election staff is also hesitant to perform duties in the area.

Local people complain that militants are threatening them to stay away from the polling stations otherwise they will be blown up. They are afraid of possible suicide attacks by the militants.

Elections in a provincial assembly constituency, PF-81, have been postponed due to the killing of ‘Q’ League candidate Miangul Asfandyar Amirzeb in a bomb explosion. He was grandson of former Wali-e-Swat Miangul Jehanzeb.

Some of the candidates pleading anonymity told Dawn that the FM radio channel of hardcore militant Maulana Fazlullah was still operating and he was exhorting people to be prepared for jihad against the security forces.Awami National Party leader Dr Shamsher Ali Khan, who is also contesting election from PF-83, when contacted, expressed dissatisfaction over the operation and said that only innocent people were being arrested to create problems for the politicians. In such a situation no candidate feels secure and everyone avoids holding public meetings, he said.

Mr Khan said the situation in some constituencies like PF-86, PF 82, and PF-80 was comparatively better while in the rest of constituencies the candidates were facing great problems even to contact their voters. —Bureau Report