MANSEHRA, July 7: The Election Commission, Mansehra, has received 18,000 applications for registration of voters from the district and the tribal areas of Kala Dhaka. Over 100,000 people were enrolled as voters during the earlier registration process, official sources told Dawn.

According to the 2002 voter list, a total of 64,3043 voters were registered in the Mansehra district and its tribal area of Kala Dhaka. But by this year, 100,000 voters have been registered.

The sources said the Election Commission had received about 18,000 applications for correction of data and enrolment of names as voters till July 3, adding that as the deadline for correction or enrolment had now been extended until July 18, more people were likely to enrol as voters.

They said that during the whole registration process the most striking thing was extremely low registration of voters in the quake-affected areas of Balakot and Kala Dhaka.

He, however, noted that with the extension of the deadline for enrolment and correction in the voter lists, a marked increase had been witnessed in the number of enrolment with about 5,700 applications being received from Balakot and another 5,000 from Kala Dhaka.

The Election Commission, Mansehra, has established 436 display centres in the district and 69 in the tribal areas of Kala Dhaka for enrolment and correction in the voter lists.