FATA stands at the ready for historic polls

Preparations made to ensure voter participation and security across the region.

PESHAWAR:

On Election Day, 356 candidates will be vying for the 12 National Assembly constituencies located in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), with May 11 marking the first time party-based elections will be held in the region.

However, a rise in the number of displaced families, cultural norms, and the constant threat of militant activities have spurred election preparations that have been specifically implemented to suit the needs of the tribal belt.

Ensuring participation among the tribesmen

According to Fata Additional Chief Secretary Tashfeen Khan, a total of 162,467 displaced persons from the Khyber, Kurram, Orakzai and South Waziristan agencies have been registered to vote in Tank, DI Khan, Hangu and Peshawar.

Implementing the election commission’s rules in North and South Waziristan is extremely difficult because a major problem facing authorities is the fact that 65% of displaced families from the Mehsud tribe have been registered outside their native areas, said Khan.

According to the additional chief secretary, these persons have been registered to vote in Tank and DI Khan and the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) will verify their registration in the two districts. If a person living in DI Khan does not appear on the list, his name will be checked against lists of voters in Tank, said Khan.



Internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Orakzai Agency will vote at polling station set up in Jarma, said Khan. As for North Waziristan, Khan added 45,000 voters had been registered according to NADRA whereas the Fata Disaster Management Authority had the number at 35,000. These individuals are to vote under the supervision of the Pakistan Army, maintained Khan, claiming voter turnout in the area would be nominal.

With respect to women voters, Khan said both separate and combined polling stations had been established across the tribal areas in order to ensure women were facilitated in their right to cast their ballots.



One of the election commission’s rules which will not be adhered to in the region is a ban on transport facilities provided by candidates to voters. “This cannot be followed in the tribal areas because of the polling stations’ remoteness,” said Khan. “Candidates will arrange transport facility for voters because it is a necessity in these areas.” As for the rest of the election commission’s rules, Khan said it was not possible to apply all of them in reality in Fata.

Khan added 1,744,246 persons had been registered to vote out of a total population of 3,634,260 in the tribal areas’ seven agencies and six frontier regions. However, director information Fazalullah Khan placed the total number of voters in Fata at 1,622,248 with 1,068,531 male and 553,717 female voters.

Security arrangements

With regards to security arrangements during the polls, Khan said 15,000 additional officials from law enforcement agencies had been deployed across Fata to preempt any untoward incidents. He further said a total of 520 polling stations had been declared sensitive in the region.



Khan pointed out the fact that this was the first time party-based elections were being held in Fata, claiming this would give rise to tough competition between the candidates. Khan also said three-personnel quick response forces would be on standby to address any security issues. Each force is to be comprised of Pakistan Army, levies and khasadar forces, he said, adding each team would be given a video camera in order to record security-related incidents on Election Day.

In addition to maintaining security, Khan said the officials would also be responsible for other duties. The officials will deliver Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) materials in Fata, hand over the materials to district returning officers and shift ballot papers back to the ECP in Islamabad for the votes to be counted, added Khan. “3,750 army officials and 1,149 Frontier Constabulary officials are being deployed in Fata.”

According to the additional chief secretary, a maximum of 35 and a minimum of four levies personnel will be deployed per polling station. In addition to security personnel, 7,934 polling staff will be performing election duties across the tribal belt. Around 7,016 of them will be working in Fata, while 918 will be performing their duties in the Frontier Regions.

Election plans from the 2008 polls have been replaced with a new strategy, said Khan. He explained while security arrangements came after polling procedures had been finalised in the rest of the country, in Fata, security arrangements were chalked out before confirming any polling procedures. Control rooms have also been set up at sub-divisional levels across the agencies in order to convey election results to the Fata Secretariat on May 11, he added.

2013

Electioneering

As a result of Political Parties Act, election campaigning has gained considerable ground in Fata. Of the candidates contesting, 79 belong to political parties, while 277 are standing as independents, said Khan, adding the extension of the Political Parties Act to Fata had allowed a total of 162 corner meetings to be held in the tribal belt during the campaigning process. Detailing each party’s activities, Khan said the Jamaat-e-Islami had held 38 gatherings with 16 in Bajaur, six in Mohmand, 13 in Khyber and one each in Kurram, Orakzai and South Waziristan. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf organised 31 with 13 in Bajaur, eight in Mohmand, nine in Khyber and one in North Waziristan.

Similarly, 22 gatherings were conducted by the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl with seven in Bajaur, 10 in Mohmand, two each in Mohmand and North Waziristan and one in the Frontier Regions. The Pakistan Peoples Party held 20 which included nine in Bajaur, 10 in Mohmand and one in North Waziristan. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz held a total of seven gatherings with three in Bajaur and four in Khyber. The Awami National Party held five gatherings in Bajaur, one each in Mohmand and North Waziristan and two in Khyber, resulting in a total of nine events.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 10^th, 2013.