MANSEHRA: The fresh delimitation by the Election Commission of Pakistan have ‘dimmed’ the prospects of electables to secure a win in the coming elections as some major alterations have been made to the provincial assembly constituencies in the Mansehra district.

The Election Commission of Pakistan is set to hold the Feb 8 elections on fresh delimitations.

There are five provincial assembly constituencies in the district.

However, two National Assembly constituencies – NA-14, Mansehra-I and NA-15, Mansehra-II – are mostly unchanged.

PK-36, Mansehra-I, which earlier covered the entire Balakot tehsil, now has Laborkot, Attershisha, Chahr and Mungan areas of Mansehra tehsil included in it after excluding these areas from PK-37, Mansehra-II.

Two NA constituencies in Mansehra largely remain unchanged

Similarly, Jullo, Shahlia, Lassan Thakral, Dabgran, Khawari and Behali areas have been excluded from PK-37, Mansehra-II, which earlier covered the Mansehra city and its suburbs.

PK-38, Mansehra-III, which is stretched over Tanawal and Barkund, now will also have Nokot, Tarangri Sabir Shah and Ghandian of Baffa-Pakhal tehsil included in it.

This constituency has also been accommodated with Jullo, Shahlia, Lassan Thakral, Dabgran, Khawari, Behali and Mathiyal areas.

PK-39, Mansehra-IV, which used to cover Oghi and Darband tehsils during the previous elections, now has Ichrian, Battle and Ahal areas of Baffa-Pakhal tehsil annexed to it.

The areas of Battle, Ahal, Baffa, Nokot, Tarangri Sabir Shah and Ghandian have been excluded from PK-40, Mansehra-V, which earlier covered Baffa-Pakhal tehsil.

“Such changes might affect the electables’ chances of winning in the coming elections,” Umar Javed, a representative of Free and Fair Election Network (Fafen), said.

He added that political parties and their aspirants had executed development schemes in the past to attract voters in that specific constituency, but now the situation had changed.

“Following fresh delimitations strongholds of some parties and their aspirants have been merged into other constituencies, and they are now in deep waters to secure a win in upcoming general elections,” he said.

KILLED: A man was killed and two others were injured when a jeep fell into a ravine in Telhata area of Balakot on Saturday night.

The jeep was on its way to Balakot from Garhi Habibullah when the driver lost control over the steering while negotiating a sharp turn.

Mohammad Sabir and Hamid, who jumped out of the jeep before it fell into the gorge, sustained critical injuries.

The deceased was identified as Mohammad Abid.

The locals shifted the body and the injured to Tehsil Headquarters Hospital, Balakot.

Published in Dawn, December 18th, 2023