BATTAGRAM: The Election Commission of Pakistan has established 256 polling stations for one national and two provincial assembly seats in the Battagram district for the July 25 elections.

ECP officials told Dawn here on Monday that they had set up 256 polling stations with 531 polling booths, 313 for men and 208 for women, for NA-12. The district has 258,155 registered voters with 105,858 women.

For PK-28, 107 polling stations have been set up with 283 polling booths -- 135 for men and 88 for women. For PK-29, 149 polling stations with 298 polling booths -- 178 for men and 120 for women -- have been established.

Meanwhile, the ECP officials said 85 polling stations had been declared the most sensitive, 97 sensitive and 74 normal. They said in PK-28, 28 polling stations were most sensitive, 47 sensitive while 32 normal. In PK-29, 57 polling stations were most sensitive, 50 sensitive and 42 normal.

POLL CONTESTANTS: After withdrawal of candidates from the election race, 29 candidates, including 10 independents, are vying for the one NA and two PA seats in the district.

According to ECP, the candidates have been issued election symbols by the returning officers.

For NA-12, eight candidates are in the run, including former MNA Qari Mohammad Yusuf of MMA, Mohammad Nawaz Khan of PTI, Sardar Malik Jan of PPP, Misbahullah Babar of ANP, Rustam Khan of QWP, Sabir Hussain Shah of PML-Q, Maulana Rasheed Ahmed and Saeed Ahmed, independents.

In PK-28, eight candidates are in the race, including former MPA Shah Hussain Khan of MMA, Zubair Khan of PTI, Mohammad Ikram Khan of PML-N, Mohammad Naeem Khan of PPP, Mohammad Arshad Khan of ANP, Javed Khan of QWP, and independents Sardarullah Khan and Ghulamullah.

For PK-29, 13 candidates are in the running, who include former MPA Wali Mohammad Khan of PML-N, Taj Mohammad of PTI, Atta Mohammad of Pakistan Rah-i-Haq Party, Mohammad Fayaz Khan of MMA, Mohammad Riaz Khan of ANP, Saeed of QWP, Zainul Marifeen of PML-Q, and independents Khanzada Zaffar Ali Khan, Amjid Wali Khan, Mohammad Fayaz, Mohammad Qasim, Taj Mohammad and Mohammad Fayaz.

Published in Dawn, July 3rd, 2018