KHAR, Feb 16: Armed militants blew up six polling stations set up in an under-construction building here on Saturday morning, while an assistant political agent escaped a bomb blast near Anyat Kalley.

The remote-controlled bomb planted near the roadside in the Omari area exploded when the Assistant Political Agent Nawagai, Mohammad Jamial Khan, along tehsildar Mamond Sardar Yousaf and Levies personnel were returning to Nawagai after inspecting various polling stations in the Mamond area. His vehicle was partially damaged.

“The man was arrested red-handed by Levies personnel,” Mohammad Jamial, who is also returning officer for NA-43, told Dawn. The arrested man was identified as Hayat Khan.

In another development, the Bajuar Levies thwarted a sabotage attempt by disposing of two remote-controlled bombs planted on a road near the Khar Pul and Degree College Bajuar Agency.

Political administration officials said that militants had planted 16 hand-made bombs in the under-construction prison in Rasool Colony, which went off with a big bang one by one.

The officials said that the administration block, colony hospital and three barracks of the building where six polling stations were set up had been completely damaged.

The sound of explosion was heard at far-flung areas of the Bajuar agency.

A case was registered against unknown militants and security was beefed up after the incident.

Bajaur Political Agent Shafirullah told Dawn a day before the incident that the political administration put the FC and Levies at high alert to ensure free, fair and transparent polls in the agency. He said 49 of total 125 polling stations had been declared ‘highly sensitive’ and the number of troops had been increased.

He said that helicopter gunships would hover over the tribal belt to help ground forces maintain peace on the polling day.

A jirga of local elders was held in Bajuar which extended all-out support to the political administration in maintaining law and order in the troubled agency.