LOWER DIR: A total of 189,015 people have been registered as voters since 2018 in Lower Dir, taking the number of registered voters to 870,852 including 481,908 male and 389,043 female voters in the district.

The number of registered voters in 2018 was 681,837 including 403,754 male and 278,083 female voters. The district has two National Assembly seats (NA-6 and NA-7) and five provincial assembly constituencies (PK-14, PK-15, PK-16, PK-17 and PK-18). In the 2018 general elections, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf won both seats of National Assembly and four of the five provincial assembly seats.

Lower Dir was once considered a stronghold of Jamaat-i-Islami. However, its chief Sirajul Haq lost his seat to Bashir Khan of PTI in 2018.

During scrutiny, returning officers rejected the nomination papers of all former lawmakers of PTI, who announced to challenge the rejection. A total of 21 candidates are now in the run for NA-6, 34 for NA-7, 33 for PK-14, 32 for PK-15, 27 for PK-16, 32 for PK-17 and 20 for PK-18.

ECP will set up a total of 614 polling stations in the district

An official of the Election Commission of Pakistan told Dawn that 614 polling stations including 175 for men, 165 for women and 274 combined would be set up in the district.

The number of total registered voters in NA-6 is 457,057 including 253,972 men and 203103 women. ECP will set up 307 polling stations in the constituency including 79 for men, 73 for women and 307 are combined.

The number of total voters in NA-7 is 413,777 including 227,837 men and 185,940 women. A total of 307 polling stations including 96 for men, 92 for women and 119 combined polling stations would be set up in the constituency.

The number of voters in PK-14 is 182,431 including 100,696 men and 81,735 women and 129 polling stations will be established for them. The number of voters in PK-15 is 178,454 including 98,063 men and 80,391 women. A total of 127 polling stations would be established for them.

In PK-16, ECP will set up 132 polling stations for 171,919 voters including 94,719 men and 77,200 women. In PK-17, the number of voters is 172,353 including 96,450 men and 75,903 women. For them, a total of 116 polling stations will be set up.

The number of voters in PK-18 is 165,695 including 91,881 men and 73,814 women. ECP will set up 110 polling stations for them.

Published in Dawn, January 4th, 2024