PESHAWAR: Voting will be held in 568 polling stations across 13 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday (today) in connection with the first phase of the local body elections as the Election Commission of Pakistan has completed all arrangements for the purpose.

Provincial election commissioner Mohammad Raziq said during the first phase of the elections held on Dec 19, polling could not take place in Dera Ismail Khan city council for the mayor’s slot and several village and neighbourhood councils in five other districts, including Charsadda, Mardan, Kohat, Lakki Marwat and Bajaur, due to the death of candidates. Fresh voting will be held in 331 polling stations in these districts.

Mr Raziq said re-voting would be held in the remaining 237 polling stations in Peshawar, Nowshera, Khyber, Mohmand, Karak, Bannu and Buner districts. He said polling in these districts was suspended after incidents of violence and vandalism occurred.

He said a total of 1,122 polling booths had been set up across the 13 districts for the purpose. He added a total of 379,322 people, including 172,939 women, would exercise their right to vote in the polls.

The provincial election commissioner said polling would continue from 8am to 5pm.

Meanwhile, the returning officers on Saturday collected polling material from the district election commission offices.

Meanwhile, ECP’s special secretary Zafar Iqbal Hussain, provincial election commissioner Mohammad Raziq, regional election commissioner, Peshawar, Saeed Ahmed Khan and district election commissioner, Peshawar, Syed Zahoor Shah visited different polling stations and inspected the arrangements there.

Published in Dawn, February 13th, 2022