KOHAT: The Election Commission of Pakistan has engaged over 6,000 staffers for 422 polling stations in Kohat and Hangu districts for the July 25 general elections.

In Hangu, the ECP has assigned 1,821 staff members the duty to look after 180 polling stations and 547 polling booths for the district’s one National Assembly and two provincial assembly seats. The total number of voters in the district is 275,947.

As many as 14 candidates have filed nomination papers for NA-33, 13 for PK-83 and 24 for PK- 84. The ticket-holders among them are PPP’s Ulfat Hussain, PTI’s Khayal Zaman, ANP’s Haider Ali Shah and MMA’s Atiqur Rehman who would contest the elections in NA-33.

In PK-83, the candidates include Hussain Ali Shah of ANP, Saifur Rehman of PML-N, Shah Faisal of PTI, Ulfat Hussain of PPP and Obaidullah of MMA. Jehanzeb of MMA, Haider Ali Shah of ANP, Ghazi Jan of PPP, Mohammad Zahoor PTI and Waheed Khan of PML-N are among the candidates for PK-84.

In Kohat, 4,267 staff members have been given duties at 723 polling booths for men and 551 for women. Similarly, there are 128 polling stations for men and 114 for women.

An election official said that three separate points had been made in the courts from where the staff would collect the election material a day ahead of the polling day and reach their destination in rented vehicles along with the army and police guards.

He said that the polling stations and booths had been established in the school buildings.

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2018