PESHAWAR: The Election Commission of Pakistan has completed all the arrangements for holding free, fair and transparent by-elections on the vacant seats of village and neighborhood councils in 17 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Thursday (today).

Over 4,840,000 registered voters will exercise their right of franchise for which 418 polling stations comprising 1,216 polling booths have been set up.

Similarly, 418 presiding officers, 1,216 assistant presiding officers and as many polling officers, have been deputed for smooth holding of the polling. The election staff has been properly trained for the electoral process by the ECP, according to a press release.

All the election-related material was provided to the presiding officers on Wednesday which has been dispatched to the polling stations.

The polling will start at 8am and will continue without any break till 4pm.

Nowshera, Swabi, Karak, Kohat, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, DI Khan, Tank, Abbottabad, Haripur, Manshera, Swat, Shangla, Lower Dir, Upper Dir and Chitral are the districts where by-elections would be held on vacant seats.

The ECP has directed the provincial government to declare holiday in the respective tehsil, village and neighborhood councils to facilitate the voters.

Provincial Election Commissioner Pir Maqbool Ahmed has appealed to all the voters to fully participate in the polling process without any fear. Proper security arrangements have been made for peaceful conduct of the by-election.

Published in Dawn, December 21st, 2017