PESHAWAR, Dec 14: Arrangements have been completed for Wednesday's NA-35 by-election in Malakand. Home Secretary Abdul Karim Kasuria said the provincial government had dispatched 25 platoons of Frontier Constabulary and Scouts to the area to help the election staff, on the request of local authorities.

He said about 1,300 Malakand Levies personnel had been placed at the disposal of election authorities to ensure law and order on the polling day. The Election Commission has set up 225 polling stations in the constituency.

The seat fell vacant with the death of Maulana Inayatur Rehman of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal. Chief Election Commissioner Irshad Hasan Khan had directed the provincial election authorities to ensure fair polls, a press release issued here said.

It said the NWFP chief secretary and the returning officer should ensure peaceful atmosphere on the polling day and law-enforcement personnel should act with complete neutrality.

The CEC issued the directives to the authorities concerned following reported differences between the NWFP governor and chief minister over the role of the Levies commandant during the election campaign. The commandant was accused of favouring the MMA candidate.

The CEC directed the provincial election commissioner to call a meeting of all the candidates, the district returning officer and the Malakand Levies commandant to make necessary arrangements in this regard.

According to the Election Commission, there are 113,713 men and 93,284 women voters in the constituency. Initially there were 21 candidates for the seat. Saleem Saifullah Khan of the Pakistan Muslim League, Bakhtiar Mani of the MMA and Hamayum Khan of the People's Party Parliamentarians are the main contestants.

The Awami National Party candidate has withdrawn in favour of the PPP, and the PPP (Sherpao) has supported Saleem Saifullah. The Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam had also fielded a candidate but he has withdrawn in favour of the MMA's joint candidate. The Tehrik-i-Insaf is backing the MMA candidate.

The JUI (Sami) has boycotted the election to protest against the alliance's policies. The by-election has assumed importance in the wake of hectic campaigning by the three major groups and announcement of development works by the federal and provincial governments.