SWABI: About 300 officials of the reserve police are being deployed in the district along with 1,400 regular police personnel to ensure foolproof security on the occasion of local government elections today (Saturday).

They would assist the police personnel in maintaining order at the polling stations, sources said.

They said that the district administration had declared 237 of the total 787 polling stations as highly sensitive and decided to make elaborate security arrangements for elections.

When contacted, police officials said that they could not disclose the names of highly sensitive polling stations, but added that ‘extraordinary security measures’ would be ensured at such stations. Sources said that majority of such polling stations were located in Razaar tehsil.

The officials said that 211 polling stations, most of them in Topi tehsil, had been declared sensitive.

237 polling stations declared highly sensitive

Meanwhile, officials of the local election commission and district administration said that they had finalised arrangements to conduct peaceful and transparent elections. The election staff has reached the designated polling stations, said an official.

Deputy commissioner Matiullah Khan and district police officer Sajjad Khan said that the candidates should follow the rules and ensure peace and normality on the polling day.

POLLING AGENTS: Both male and female candidates said here on Friday that they had been facing problems in arranging women polling agents.

Usman Sher, who is contesting election to the district council seat from Batakara union council, said that women polling agents were needed at each polling station, but he could not find enough literate women to represent him.

Aamir Nawab, a contestant from Maneri Bala union council, said that the contesting candidates needed women polling agents to guide voters in camps, but only a few women were available for such tasks. Several other candidates also made similar complaints.

Also, both the candidates and the election staff have demanded smooth supply of electricity on the polling day. They said that it was the responsibility of the government to ensure uninterrupted power supply because there would be a great rush of people and if the power supply was suspended for hours it could affect the polling process.

Published in Dawn, May 30th, 2015

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