Candidates, parties asked to end election campaign

As per rules the campaign must end at midnight, no candidate will address gatherings, says ECP

PESHAWAR:

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday directed all political parties to end their election campaigns for the second phase of the local government elections in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) by midnight.

The ECP’s spokesman said as per rules the campaign must end at midnight (March 29) and no candidate or party leader will address gatherings or corner meetings or take out processions in their respective constituencies after the deadline. He said that legal action would be taken against those political leaders and parties which violate the rules.

As many as 8,057,974 registered voters including 4,489,771 males and 3,567,703 females would vote for 65 tehsils, 1,830 village and neighborhood councils during the second phase of local bodies’ elections in 18 districts of Khyber Pakthunkhwa on March 31, 2022.

According to the Provincial Election Commission, a total of 6,176 polling stations including 1,246 for men, 1,164 for women and 3,766 combined would be established. Similarly, 16,509 polling booths including 9,218 for male and 7,291 for female would also be set up for voters. Out of these polling stations, 1,646 have been declared most sensitive and 2,326 sensitive where enhanced security arrangements have been made.

Polling will be held in Abbottabad, Mansehra, Battagram, Torghar, Upper and Lower Kohistan, Kolai-Palas, Swat, Malakand, Shangla, Lower and Upper Dir, Upper and Lower Chitral, Kurram, Orakzai, and North and South Waziristan districts on March 31.ECP held a series of awareness workshops with the assistance of press clubs and media to mobilize voters for LG elections. In this connection, awareness workshops were held at South Waziristan, Peshawar, Buner, Chitral, Malakand, Swat, Kurrum and Bajaur tribal districts.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 30^th, 2022.