According to official sources at the assistant election commissioner’s office, a total of 118,765 registered voters with 51,866 women and 66,899 men are eligible to cast their votes from 8am to 5pm. PHOTO: ONLINE
The election authorities and district administration have declared 68 polling stations of PK-45, Abbottabad-II as sensitive and have decided to deploy additional police force to ensure peaceful by-elections today (Thursday).
While sharing the security plan with The Express Tribune, DPO Muhammad Ali Khan Gandapur said that of the 109 polling stations in the constituency, 84 are in the territorial jurisdiction of Abbottabad district, while 25 fall in the neighbouring district of Mansehra. Keeping in view various intelligence reports and past experiences in the constituency, he said the police have declared 40 polling stations as ‘most sensitive’ and 28 as ‘sensitive’.
Extra police personnel will be deployed at these stations so the public’s right of franchise is not affected, said the DPO, informing that 920 personnel of police, elite force and Frontier Constabulary would provide security. He said the office of the returning officer would also be guarded against any intrusion or outside interference.
Gandapur said the entire constituency, spread over scenic hills, has been divided into different sectors and sub-sectors, with a deputy superintendent of police heading every sub-sector and the sectors being monitored by the DPO and assistant superintendents of police.
To a question, Gandapur said security forces would also remain on call throughout the election process and hoped that no incidents of violence take place as the area has no tradition of display of weapons or hostility between candidates.
Meanwhile, according to official sources at the assistant election commissioner’s office, a total of 118,765 registered voters with 51,866 women and 66,899 men are eligible to cast their votes from 8am to 5pm. The constituency will have 286 polling booths with 168 for men and 118 for women.
PK-45 was vacated after Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan Abbasi was appointed the governor of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. A tough contest is expected between Abbasi’s cousin, Fareed Abbasi, and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf candidate Ali Asghar Khan.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 5th, 2014.
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