PK-22 constituency: By-polls for vacant K-P Assembly seat to be held today
Petitioner challenging decision withdraws application.
“Polling will start from 8am and continue till 5pm,” says Provincial Election Commissioner.
SHABQADAR/PESHAWAR:
With hardly two months left for the completion of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly’s term, all arrangements have been finalised for the PK-22 Charsadda-IV by-polls which will be taking place today (Tuesday).
“Polling will start from 8am and continue till 5pm,” Provincial Election Commissioner Sonu Khan Baloch told The Express Tribune. He added that a public holiday has also been announced in the constituency.
The seat had fallen vacant after the death of QWP lawmaker Muhammad Ali Khan on November 2, 2012.
The total number of registered voters is 105,666 which includes 63,816 males and 41,850 females. Baloch said 85 polling stations have been established and 257 booths set up, 157 for males and 100 for females.
According to the election commissioner, 85 presiding officers, 257 assistant presiding officers and two polling officers have been appointed to look over the polls.
District Returning Officer Talib Hussain said ballot papers and polling material have been handed over to the polling staff.
Three candidates are contesting for the vacant seat – Babar Ali, a joint candidate of all political parties, Gul Yousaf from Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) and Raz Muhammad Durrani from Qaumi Watan Party (QWP).
Babar enjoys the support of the Haleemzai tribe of Mohmand Agency, while Yousaf is a member of the Tarakzai tribe and his brother Wazir Muhammad has served as a union council (UC) nazim.
Raz Muhammad’s wife is a former MPA from the JUI-F. He has also served as a UC nazim and later joined the QWP. Local politicians believe the QWP’s candidate has an upper hand compared to the others.
Meanwhile, petitioner Sardar Khan, who had challenged the decision to hold by-polls in PK-22, has withdrawn his application from the Peshawar High Court (PHC).
By-polls for PK-22’s vacant seat were to be earlier held on January 15.
However, on January 10, Sardar, a resident of Shabqadar, challenged the decision saying the polls cannot be held as less than 120 days are left in the assembly’s tenure. The notification for the vacant seat was issued on November 26.
Sardar informed the court through his counsel on Monday that he wants to withdraw his application.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 15th, 2013.
With hardly two months left for the completion of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly’s term, all arrangements have been finalised for the PK-22 Charsadda-IV by-polls which will be taking place today (Tuesday).
“Polling will start from 8am and continue till 5pm,” Provincial Election Commissioner Sonu Khan Baloch told The Express Tribune. He added that a public holiday has also been announced in the constituency.
The seat had fallen vacant after the death of QWP lawmaker Muhammad Ali Khan on November 2, 2012.
The total number of registered voters is 105,666 which includes 63,816 males and 41,850 females. Baloch said 85 polling stations have been established and 257 booths set up, 157 for males and 100 for females.
According to the election commissioner, 85 presiding officers, 257 assistant presiding officers and two polling officers have been appointed to look over the polls.
District Returning Officer Talib Hussain said ballot papers and polling material have been handed over to the polling staff.
Three candidates are contesting for the vacant seat – Babar Ali, a joint candidate of all political parties, Gul Yousaf from Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) and Raz Muhammad Durrani from Qaumi Watan Party (QWP).
Babar enjoys the support of the Haleemzai tribe of Mohmand Agency, while Yousaf is a member of the Tarakzai tribe and his brother Wazir Muhammad has served as a union council (UC) nazim.
Raz Muhammad’s wife is a former MPA from the JUI-F. He has also served as a UC nazim and later joined the QWP. Local politicians believe the QWP’s candidate has an upper hand compared to the others.
Meanwhile, petitioner Sardar Khan, who had challenged the decision to hold by-polls in PK-22, has withdrawn his application from the Peshawar High Court (PHC).
By-polls for PK-22’s vacant seat were to be earlier held on January 15.
However, on January 10, Sardar, a resident of Shabqadar, challenged the decision saying the polls cannot be held as less than 120 days are left in the assembly’s tenure. The notification for the vacant seat was issued on November 26.
Sardar informed the court through his counsel on Monday that he wants to withdraw his application.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 15th, 2013.