To and fro: Vehicles seized for use on Election Day

Police directed to confiscate public transport and place at disposal of ROs.

DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Hundreds of public transport vehicles – taken into custody by the respective district governments of Tank and Bannu – will be at the disposal of returning officers on Election Day.

In Bannu, around 400 vehicles of various types are standing on district court premises and other government buildings such as police stations. The district government directed police officials to take under their control public transport vehicles which could be used on Election Day, said an official of the district administration not wishing to be named.



In Tank, police have seized around 100 vehicles from different areas. These too are now standing on the district court premises.

An official at the district commissioner office (DCO), Tank, said the vehicles will be handed over to the returning officers and will be at his disposal on Election Day. The vehicles may be used for transporting staff and ballot papers to polling stations or for other related purposes.



The practice of seizing suitable vehicles by the police is ongoing in Bannu and Tank at present. Due to this, few public transport vehicles can be seen on the roads, hindering the mobility of locals.

A resident of Tank, Saeed Alam owns such a vehicle and takes passengers between Gomal village and Tank city. Alam said he is not taking his Toyota outside his house until the elections for fear of it being confiscated, adding his livelihood has been affected.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 7^th, 2013.