PESHAWAR: The Election Commission of Pakistan on Saturday announced to hold re-polling at 24 polling stations of 12 tehsils in different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on May 22 where polling was suspended for multiple reasons during the second phase of local body elections on March 31.

The polling will be held for six seats of chairmen tehsil councils and 19 of village and neighbourhood councils located in 12 districts of the province, according to details shared by the ECP.

The second phase of local body elections was held in 65 tehsils of 18 districts of the province.

The districts where elections were held include Abbottabad, Mansehra, Battagram, Torghar, Kohistan Upper, Kohistan Lower, Kolai-Palas, Swat, Malakand, Shangla, Lower and Upper Dir, Upper and Lower Chitral, Kurram, Orakzai and North and South Waziristan.

The tehsils were the re-polling will be held included Wana, Ladha, Mirali, Palas, Bataira, Baffa, Balakot, Abbottabad, Lower Tanawal, Lower Kurram, Dassu and Battagram.

According to details issued by the ECP on Saturday, re-polling will be held in 24 polling stations, including six of women, two of men and 16 combined.

According to an ECP report, the voters had boycotted polling in Zalai village council of Wana tehsil council in South Waziristan tribal district and demanded the shifting of votes from one village council to another.

Similarly, voting wasn’t held at a women polling station in Azam Warsak neighbourhood council of Wana tehsil council where polling material was snatched by supporters of some candidates.

The snatching of polling material and weapons of security personnel was reported at three polling stations in Mirali tehsil of North Waziristan, prompting the ECP to go for re-polling there.

The ECP report said that the presiding officer had sought re-polling for Sacha Kalan village council in Baffa tehsil of Mansehra district where polling was stopped time and again due to scuffles and firing in the air.

Also, the residents had attacked polling stations and took away election material in Lower Kurram tehsil, while the torching of ballot boxes and ballot papers was reported in Dassu tehsil of Upper Kohistan district.

Earlier, the ECP had set up 6,176 polling stations for the polling in the second phase of local body elections on March 31.

A total of 28,020 candidates had contested the elections, including 651 for mayors and chairmen of the city and tehsil councils.

Published in Dawn, May 1st, 2022