DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Some armed men attacked a police armoured vehicle on security duty at a polling station at Kot-Azam in Tank, triggering an exchange of fire that left one of the attackers dead on Monday.

The polling process had to be stopped for some time due to the ambush, though it resumed following a search and clearance operation by police.

The police vehicle was on security duty for re-polling on six polling stations at the National Assembly (NA-43) constituency of Tank-cum-Dera Ismail Khan.

On Feb 8, the polling did not take place at the six polling stations, including one at Kot-Azam in Tank and five in Kalachi tehsil of D.I. Khan, due to deteriorating law and order situation.

One of the attackers killed; polling process resumed after clearance operation by police

A total of 5,438 registered voters were eligible to cast votes at these six polling stations. Officials said re-polling was held ‘peacefully’ amid tight security in rest of the polling stations, after the attack.

DSP City Muhammad Adnan visited different polling stations in NA-43 to examine security situation.

A police spokesman said that the DSP checked police personnel deployed at all six polling stations where polling was underway. On the occasion, he issued necessary directives to ensure peace and security.

PTI-backed independent wins NA-43 seat again

PTI-backed independent candidate Dawar Khan Kundi defeated JUI-F’s Mufti Asad Mehmood by a narrow margin of 583 votes, according to unofficial results received in the late evening hours.

According to unofficial results from the six polling stations, Mr Kundi won the seat by securing 64,483 votes, against JUI-F’s Mufti Asad who grabbed 63,900 votes.

Earlier according to the provisional results released by the Election Commission of Pakistan after the Feb 8 election, PTI-backed independent candidate Dawar Khan Kundi won the NA-43 (Tank-Dera Ismail Khan) constituency with 63,556 votes.

Ex-MNA Asad Mahmood, the son of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam—Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, was the runner-up with a close 62,730 votes.

The interior ministry last week moved a summary to the federal cabinet for approval of army deployment for the re-polling at the six polling stations. The federal cabinet approved the army deployment under Articles 220 and 245 of the Constitution to ensure the polling process remain peaceful.

A day ago, district education officer Musrat Hussain Baloch told the media that polling staff would be dispatched from the office of the Dera deputy commissioner under tight security on Sunday morning for re-polling.

Published in Dawn, February 20th, 2024