LANDI KOTAL: The prisoners being held the lockups in Jamrud and Landi Kotal of Khyber tribal district will avail for the first time the facility of postal ballot in the 2018 general elections.

Jamrud Assistant Commissioner Zahid Usman Kakakhel, who is also returning officer for NA-43, told Dawn that he had issued 1,580 postal ballots out of the total 1,600, he received from Election Commission of Pakistan, to the prisoners lodged in lockups in Jamrud and Landi Kotal with some other necessary documents for the exercise of their legal right to vote.

Read: Power of the vote

He said that the postal ballots were issued to those prisoners, who had submitted written application to him for casting their votes in the upcoming general elections. “Majority of these prisoners, who were issued ballot papers prior to July 15, the last date for the said purpose, were either not enrolled as registered voters or did not possess Computerised National Identity Cards,” he said.

Official says 1,580 postal ballots issued to inmates of Jamrud, Landi Kotal lock-ups

Mr Kakakhel said that only 14 eligible prisoners would return their ballots in a sealed envelope on July 20, the last date for submission of postal ballots. The ballots would be counted on July 26, he added.

“I was under legal obligation to issue postal ballots to the prisoners. It is clearly mentioned in elections rules, which I have to obey,” he said.

The official said that prisoners were entitled to cast their votes through ballot as per election rules. “I am not sure as to why this rule was not followed during the previous elections,” he stated.

Mr Kakakhel said that similar postal ballots were issued to at least 74 Khasadar and Levies men on their request as they would be busy in performing election-related security duty on July 25.

Meanwhile, a group of candidates including JUI-F nominee Mufti Ejaz, PTI candidate Noorul Haq Qadri, Hazrat wali of PPP and independent contender Abdur Raziq met Mr Kakakhel at his office on Thursday and conveyed to him their reservations regarding an undeclared ban on election campaign in Bazaar-Zakhakhel area.

Sources said that the candidates told Mr. Kakakhel that none of the candidates for NA-43 except one independent one, who belonged to Bazaar-Zakhakhel, had held an election-related rally in the area for want of security.

Mr Kakakhel told Dawn that there was neither ban on election campaign in Bazaar-Zakhakhel, nor the area was insecure for such activities. He said that he advised the candidates to provide the administration with the schedule of their campaign in Bazaar-Zakhakhel and they would be provided with security.

Also, Mr Kakakhel administered oath to all the presiding officers for NA-43 to ensure free and transparent elections in Khyber tribal district. The ceremony was held at Jamrud Jirga Hall that was attended by officials of health and education departments.

Published in Dawn, July 20th, 2018