According to Orakzai, holding elections in the constituency is a difficult task because of the volatile security situation. PHOTO: EXPRESS/ FILE
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate from Kurram Agency has appealed to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to further delay elections in NA-38 because of the ongoing military offensive in the area.
The schedule for elections in NA-38 Kurram Agency has been announced by the ECP, said PML-N candidate and tribal leader Naveed Orakzai at the Peshawar Press Club on Thursday.
According to Orakzai, holding elections in the constituency is a difficult task because of the volatile security situation, the military operation and the recent exodus of tribesmen from Kurram agency.
More than 40,000 tribesmen have been forced to leave for settled areas, including Peshawar and Kohat, and are now homeless, said the tribal leader. “If you hold elections now, you will deprive a large number of people from their right to vote.”
The PML-N candidate also accused the Kurram Agency Political Administration of supporting the Jamiat-e-Ulema-Islam-Fazl’s candidate Munir Khan Orakzai. “It is the duty of the political administration to assist people, and not to take sides.”
Orakzai demanded the immediate reshuffling of the existing political agents to ensure transparent polls.
He also appealed to the ECP to suspend elections till the restoration of peace and voluntary repatriation of the displaced people.
Poll results in the rest
of Fata
Of the nine constituencies in Fata which have complete (unofficial) election results, six have elected independent candidates.
In the remaining three constituencies, one candidate each succeeded on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) tickets.
“Even though the Political Parties Act was extended to the tribal areas [allowing parties to operate openly], the overall environment was not favourable for carrying out election campaigns,” political expert, requesting anonymity, explained the success of independents.
“Those who contest on party tickets have to follow the party’s policy in the parliament’s lower house, which is why many tribal candidates do not prefer to contest on party tickets.”
The elected independent candidates are Bilal Rehman NA-36 Mohmand Agency with 8867 votes, Sajid Turi NA-37 Kurram Agency with 30,524, Ghazi Gulab Jamal NA-39 Orakzai Agency with 9875, Muhammad Nazir NA-40 North Waziristan with 18,055, Bismillah NA-43 Bajaur Agency with 13,872, and Alhaj Shah Jee Gul NA-45 Khyber Agency with 29,488.
JUI-F’s Muhammad Jamaluddin won NA-42 South Waziristan with 3,356 votes, PML-N’s Shahabuddin won NA-44 Bajaur with 14,990 and PTI’s Qaisar Jamal won NA-47 Frontier Regions with 10,658 votes.
NA-37 Kurram Agency had the highest voter turnout of the nine – 58.1% of the registered electorate turned up to vote.
NA-42 South Waziristan had the lowest reported turnout – 11.57% of the registered electorate.
In addition to NA-38, two other constituencies have yet to complete polling. In NA-41 South Waziristan four polling stations will have re-elections after allegations of rigging emerged.
Re-elections will take place on May 18 in 21 out of 41 polling stations in NA-46 Bara Khyber Agency after candidates accused each other of sabotage.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 17th, 2013.
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