BATTAGRAM: Hundreds of people came out onto the main Karakoram Highway on Tuesday and protested outside the offices of the deputy commissioner and the election commission against the recent delimitation exercise.

The protesters belonging to Deshan area of Battagram district were holding banners and placards inscribed with slogans rejecting delimitation of constituencies.

The people claimed that Peshora union council and the Hotal village council were part of the Battagram tehsil, but in the recent delimitation exercise, these areas had been transferred to the Allai tehsil, which was not acceptable to them. They claimed that the district administration and ECP officials took the decision without taking the residents onboard.

They said that Deshan area had been bifurcated, leaving half of it in Allai tehsil and the remainder in Battagram.

They accused the ECP of merging the areas nearby Battagram tehsil into the Allai tehsil, causing discomfort to the people.

The protesters were led by elders Anwar Baig, Mahajareen Khan, Mufti Nisar, Atta Mohammad and Ayaz Torkheli.

Earlier, the protesters said that they had also approached the local election commission officials, requesting them to review the delimitation, but they refused, forcing the people to come onto the roads.

Published in Dawn, August 17th, 2022