TIMERGARA, March 28: Local political and social activists on Thursday demanded of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to set up more women polling stations in Lower Dir.

Officials said registered voters in Lower Dir were 504,091, including 297,766 men and 206,325 women.

They told Dawn on Friday that ECP had set up 308 (6 for women, 6 for men, 296 combined) polling stations in Lower Dir.

Officials said six separate polling stations had been set up for women, while in 296 combined stations, women staff would be appointed accordingly.

JI Lower Dir chief Maulana Asadullah said the people would feel reluctant to send women to combined polling stations.

He said women would not be barred from voting but it was the responsibility of the government and ECP to set up at least one polling station for women in each union council of the district.

Similarly, Shahid Mehmood of JUI-F, Ibrahim Khan of PPP and Mohammad Umar of QWP also demanded an increase in women polling stations.

They said if ECP wanted women of Lower Dir to actively take part in voting, it should increase the number of polling stations for women. — Correspondent