MANSEHRA: The district administration has claimed it has cleared roads to polling stations in snowbound areas here.

“We have made arrangements to facilitate people’s participation in voting in the areas cut off from the rest of the district due to the recent snowfall,” deputy commissioner Shahid Bilal Rao told reporters at a college here on Wednesday.

The DC, who is also the district returning officer, said Mansehra’s snowbound areas had 83 polling stations and 25 of them were relocated to low-lying areas.

He added that the roads blocked by snow were cleared to ensure the access of voters.

DC says 900 army personnel to be on standby today

Accompanied by district police officer Zahoor Babar Afridi, the DC dispatched polling staff and material from the college to 870 polling stations set up for two national and five provincial assembly constituencies in the district.

He said 900 army personnel would be on a standby on the polling day today,while the policemen would be deployed in and outside polling stations and sensitive places.

Mr Rao said 870 polling stations had been established across the district, whose over 1,100,000 residents both men and women would exercise their right to vote today (Thursday).

DPO Afridi said out of the total of the district’s 870 polling stations, 180 had been declared highly sensitive so closed circuit television cameras were installed and extra security measures were made there.

He said over 4,500 police personnel would be deployed in and around polling stations to ensure peaceful elections.

Mr Afridi said the DC had already imposed Section 144 of CrPC in the district banning people from carrying arms or firing in the air.

He promised strict action against violators of the restriction.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission of Pakistan on Wednesday dispatched polling staff and materials to 123 polling stations setup in Torghar for election in the district’s only provincial assembly constituency.

“We have made foolproof security arrangements for the election,” Torghar deputy commissioner Ziaur Rehman Marwat told reporters.

He said 25 polling stations were established across the district where male and female voters would exercise their franchise.

The DC said in the far-off areas with roads, polling staff and materials were sent by ferries via the Indus River.

The district returning officers of Upper and Lower Kohistan and Kolai-Palas also dispatched polling staff and materials to polling stations in their respective districts, where police personnel are deployed to ensure peaceful elections.

“We have made foolproof security arrangements for elections,” Upper Kohistan deputy commissioner Irfanullah Mehsud told reporters.

Published in Dawn, February 8th, 2024