PESHAWAR, Aug 16: The election campaign reached its peak in the city and the NWFP on Tuesday, the last day of campaigning for the first phase of the local body elections to be held on Thursday.
Candidates belonging to major groups, backed by mainstream political parties, and independent contestants are running door-to-door campaigns in urban and rural areas of the provincial capital to win support of voters.
The candidates are holding street-corner meetings all over the city during day as well as night seeking voters’ support.
However, most of the voters are not showing enthusiasm in the poll process because the candidates’ groups lack any economic agenda or programme to attract them.
The four major groups — Awam Dost, Watan Dost, Al-Khidmat and Muttahida — are backed by the People’s Party Parliamentarians, Awami National Party, Jamaat-i-Islami and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Fazl), respectively – have not unveiled any development programme for the provincial capital.
Meanwhile, Hujras and mosques have become a hub of the election activities, particularly in the rural areas, where the candidates and their supporters gather voters to listen to the election agenda of the contestants.
Though residents of Peshawar are considered as conservative people, women contestants are openly running their election campaign in the city. In the areas like Hayatabad and University Town, women can be seen visiting houses to seek votes for male candidates.
As many as 491 women candidates are in the run for general and workers’ seats in the city district.
The PPP and the ANP allege that the federal and provincial governments are interfering in the election process and the Election Commission (EC) has failed to implement the Code of Conduct in letter and spirit.
“The Election Commission has become ineffective and has failed to stop pre-poll rigging by the federal and provincial governments,” alleged provincial president of the PPP Rahim Dad Khan.
He said that he had informed the provincial election commissioner about the situation and had requested him to take notice of the pre-poll rigging, but went in vain.
Mr Rahim alleged that the provincial government had utilised Zakat funds to lure voters in the favour of some candidates.
City ANP chief Ghulam Mustafa said that the EC had become partial in the poll process and given free hand to the federal and provincial ministers to run election campaigns.
He said that the commission should have taken suo moto notice of it in the early stages of the poll process.
“We don’t expect that the commission will enforce its authority to ensure free and fair polls when it cannot stop the ministers from running election campaigns,” Mr Mustafa said.
Our bureau adds: Under article 118/122 of the Police Order, police have prohibited the carrying of arms or anything which can be used for physical violence, according to an official statement.
The step has been taken to control the activities of anti-social elements during the polling.
Capital City Police Officer Habib-ur-Rehman said that anti-social elements would try to sabotage the peaceful atmosphere of the district, but that would not be allowed at any cost.
According to the official order, no person will carry any arms and ammunition, any article capable of being used for physical violence, explosive substance or any other instruments which is dangerous to human life and public property.