Abbottabad set for three union council by-elections

The seats fell vacant after the deseating of three district councilors

ABBOTTABAD: All arrangements have been finalised to hold the by-elections in the three union councils of Abbottabad district on Sunday (today) where the election officer has handed over election material to the polling staff on the three seats of the district council which fell vacant after the deseating of three district councilors including district Nazim and Naib Nazim under the defection clause.

DPO Abbottabad while exercising his powers under section 82 & 86 (1) of the K-P police Act 2017 has imposed ban on displaying or brandishing of firearms arms, holding victory procession, rallies and celebrations and had also barred outsiders from the union council to come near the polling station in the union council within limits of 500 metres and  no one will be allowed to take a mobile phone inside the polling station with ban on display of provocative banners. DPO had also barred male agents at female polling stations.

This is being done in the three union councils namely Salhad, Kehal and Bakot are as pre-emptive measures to avoid any law and order situation.



In Bakot union council, four candidates are contesting including  Nazir Ahmed Abbasi (Sword), Muhammad Zaheer Abbasi (Scale), Shoukat Arbab Abbasi (Bat), Zahid Hussain (Washing Machine) where total registered votes are 21,220 and 19 polling stations are established out of which 59 polling booths of male and female are marked.

In Kehal Union Council, eight candidates are fighting for top honour which includes Asad Javed Khan (Bench), Altaf Hussain (Bracket Fan), Raja Muhammad Iqbal Turk (Crane), Sardar Zakir Hussain (Ice Cream), Sardar Umair Anwar (Washing Machine), Safdar Rana (Bat), Liaqat Li Khan (Lantern), and Muhammad Sajid Awan (Lion) where 13,965 registered voters will cast their votes in 14 polling stations established with 37 polling booths.

In Salhad Union council, Six candidates are in the run which includes Ch Muhammad Shakeel (Bracket Fan) Dildar (Bench), Raja Saeed Ahmed Khan (Lantern), Muhammad Shafeeq Khan Tanoli (Tiger), Mufti Naeem Haider Awan (Crane) and Malik Suleman Khan Jadoon ( Bat) and total  18,773 voters are registered and 15 polling stations are established with 44 polling booths.

It should be noted that these three seats were vacated after the deseating of District Nazim Sardar Sher Bahadar, Naib Nazim Shoukat Tanoli and member Nazeer Abbasi. The only candidate out of three is Nazeer Abbasi who is again contesting on the same seat (Bakot) from where he was deseated under defection clause challenged by the PTI.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 18^th, 2018.