UPPER DIR: Women of Nehag Darra union council in Wari tehsil of Upper Dir district have formally requested the Election Commission of Pakistan and district returning officer to declare the May 30 local body elections in their constituency null and void over denial of the right to vote to them.

Bacha Bibi, Rowasia Bibi, Rafona, Meena Gul, Basmeena Bibi and other residents of Karpat and Karbadi of Nehag Darra told Dawn on Tuesday that they had submitted an application to the DRO and ECP offices for fresh elections in their constituency.

They claimed they had gone to polling stations on May 30 but the polling staff and local men didn’t allow them to cast vote and sent them home.

The women said voting was their constitutional right and the polling staff and other locals committed an unconstitutional act by stopping them from casting vote.

“I along with other women went to the polling station set up in Karbadi, where my vote was registered, but polling staff told me that there are no arrangements for women to cast vote, so you should go back,” said Bacha Bibi.

She claimed women in Upper Dir district had cast vote for the first time since 1970 in some parts of the district like Brawal, Wari, Kakad and Rokhan.

Other women said they wanted the ECP and DRO to nullify elections in their area and order re-election.

They claimed women in Karpat, Karbadi, Khandaro and other areas of the region were also stopped from casting vote in May 30 elections. The women threatened to stage protests on the matter.

Male relatives of the women said they had given an application to returning officer and assistant commissioner of Wari for action against those behind vote bar but they insisted they didn’t have the authority to do so and therefore, they should approach DRO.

PTI candidate Anwar Zeb, who lost elections in Nahag ward, also alleged rigging on May 30 and claimed he had evidence.

“I’ll provide those evidence to media very soon,” he said.

COUPLE DIE IN ACCIDENT: A man and his wife were killed and another woman of the family was injured when a car they were traveling in skidded off the road and fell into the Panjkora River in Upper Dir late on Monday.

The local police said break failure appeared to be the cause of the accident.

According to them, the accident occurred when Ismail, his wife Nasra Bibi and sister Saima Bibi were going from Kadikhel to Wari. The brakes failed at a sharp turn in Joghabani area prompting the car to plunge into the river.

Ismail and Nasra Bibi died on the spot, while Saima suffered injuries.

The injured woman was shifted to a local hospital. The two-month-old daughter of Ismail miraculously remained unhurt in the accident.

The police registered a case and began investigation.

Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2015

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