Not un[eventful]: K-P inks LG representatives in round two of polling
Voting conducted under watchful eye of police, army; 25 arrested in various incidents
Voters gather around a polling agent outside Karimpur polling station in the city. PHOTOS: MUHAMMAD IQBAL/ EXPRESS & SYED NOMAN SHAH
KARAK/SWABI/ABBOTTABAD/NOWSHERA/HANGU/KOHAT/PESHAWAR/LAKKI MARWAT/BANNU/CHARSADDA/BUNER/MARDAN/DI KHAN:
Local government re-polls were conducted across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa amid tight security on Thursday.
Heavy contingents of police were joined by paramilitary and security officials who not only patrolled various districts but also manned polling stations. Fewer cases of mismanagement were reported but 25 people were arrested in different incidents.
Voter turnout remained low in the provincial capital, however, locals turned up in large numbers in other districts. The media was not allowed to enter polling stations in Nowshera, Charsadda and Lakki Marwat.
Mismanagement
Ballots were cast at 29 polling stations in the city.
The administration received complaints of less ballot papers in Bala Mani and Ghala Gudham polling station. Peshawar Division Commissioner Munir Azam directed an investigation into the matter.
Deputy Commissioner Riaz Mehsud said Peshawar Electric Supply Company was requested to not carry out load-shedding at polling stations. However, things went as expected – a majority of the stations remained ‘powerless’.
District administration PRO Feroz Shah said rigging allegations were addressed immediately.
Arrests
Over two dozen were arrested across K-P in incidents of attempted poll rigging.
Twelve-year-old Tamanna was arrested in Takhtabad area within the jurisdiction of Daudzai police in the city for trying to use fake votes. Tamanna was caught with 47 ballots that she was allegedly trying to carry inside a polling station and cast in favour of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl candidate Ijaz Khan Daudzai.
“She had been asked to handover medicine and 47 fake ballots to another woman there,” said a Daudzai police official, talking to The Express Tribune.
Similarly, three people were arrested with pistols near polling stations in Ahmad Khel, Musazai and Badhaber. Two were arrested in Urmar while a woman was arrested while casting 10 fake votes in Bhanamari.
Meanwhile, Bannu police arrested 13 people for attempting to rig polls at polling stations. A Domail police official said Sharifullah and two women were caught with 14 fake votes and fake CNICs respectively at Kotka Zargul Khan polling station. At least 10 other women were also arrested with fake CNICs.
Two men were caught while trying to use expired ballots at Banjakh polling station in Takht-e-Nasrati tehsil of Karak. A polling official confirmed Returning Officer Kamran Amjad caught Akhtar and Muhammad Nawaz and handed them over to Shah Salim police.
Two women were also arrested for carrying 10 fake ballots in Dheri Banda area of Kohat.
Another woman identified as Riffat was caught trying to cast a fake vote at Rashakai polling station in Risalpur, Nowshera.
Armed clashes
Ballots were cast in 11 polling stations of Hazara Division, however, not all was peaceful.
In Mansehra, candidates accused each other of stealing ballot boxes; the mud-slinging soon turned into armed clashes that left several injured. Cases were registered against numerous suspects.
Separately, three people were injured during a scuffle in Marmandi Azeem union council of Lakki Marwat.
Poor facilities
At least 46 police officials deployed in Swabi suffered food poisoning during lunch. They were rushed to a hospital while the owner of the hotel that provided the food, Samar Gul, and his son Sadiq were arrested.
Some cases of mismanagement were reported and preparations were poor in Charsadda.
Voters had to stand in the scorching sun while there were no arrangements for drinking water.
Other districts
ANP, JUI-F and PML-N boycotted re-polls in Buner. A large voter turnout was witnessed in Mardan. Bomb disposal unit officials cleared all polling stations in Kohat before polling began. Section 144 remained imposed. Votes were also cast at eight stations of DI Khan’s six UCs.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 31st, 2015.
Local government re-polls were conducted across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa amid tight security on Thursday.
Heavy contingents of police were joined by paramilitary and security officials who not only patrolled various districts but also manned polling stations. Fewer cases of mismanagement were reported but 25 people were arrested in different incidents.
Voter turnout remained low in the provincial capital, however, locals turned up in large numbers in other districts. The media was not allowed to enter polling stations in Nowshera, Charsadda and Lakki Marwat.
Mismanagement
Ballots were cast at 29 polling stations in the city.
The administration received complaints of less ballot papers in Bala Mani and Ghala Gudham polling station. Peshawar Division Commissioner Munir Azam directed an investigation into the matter.
Deputy Commissioner Riaz Mehsud said Peshawar Electric Supply Company was requested to not carry out load-shedding at polling stations. However, things went as expected – a majority of the stations remained ‘powerless’.
District administration PRO Feroz Shah said rigging allegations were addressed immediately.
Arrests
Over two dozen were arrested across K-P in incidents of attempted poll rigging.
Twelve-year-old Tamanna was arrested in Takhtabad area within the jurisdiction of Daudzai police in the city for trying to use fake votes. Tamanna was caught with 47 ballots that she was allegedly trying to carry inside a polling station and cast in favour of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl candidate Ijaz Khan Daudzai.
Women voters in Karnol, Mansehra PHOTOS: MUHAMMAD IQBAL/ EXPRESS & SYED NOMAN SHAH
“She had been asked to handover medicine and 47 fake ballots to another woman there,” said a Daudzai police official, talking to The Express Tribune.
Similarly, three people were arrested with pistols near polling stations in Ahmad Khel, Musazai and Badhaber. Two were arrested in Urmar while a woman was arrested while casting 10 fake votes in Bhanamari.
Meanwhile, Bannu police arrested 13 people for attempting to rig polls at polling stations. A Domail police official said Sharifullah and two women were caught with 14 fake votes and fake CNICs respectively at Kotka Zargul Khan polling station. At least 10 other women were also arrested with fake CNICs.
Two men were caught while trying to use expired ballots at Banjakh polling station in Takht-e-Nasrati tehsil of Karak. A polling official confirmed Returning Officer Kamran Amjad caught Akhtar and Muhammad Nawaz and handed them over to Shah Salim police.
Two women were also arrested for carrying 10 fake ballots in Dheri Banda area of Kohat.
Another woman identified as Riffat was caught trying to cast a fake vote at Rashakai polling station in Risalpur, Nowshera.
Armed clashes
Ballots were cast in 11 polling stations of Hazara Division, however, not all was peaceful.
In Mansehra, candidates accused each other of stealing ballot boxes; the mud-slinging soon turned into armed clashes that left several injured. Cases were registered against numerous suspects.
Separately, three people were injured during a scuffle in Marmandi Azeem union council of Lakki Marwat.
Poor facilities
At least 46 police officials deployed in Swabi suffered food poisoning during lunch. They were rushed to a hospital while the owner of the hotel that provided the food, Samar Gul, and his son Sadiq were arrested.
Some cases of mismanagement were reported and preparations were poor in Charsadda.
Voters had to stand in the scorching sun while there were no arrangements for drinking water.
Other districts
ANP, JUI-F and PML-N boycotted re-polls in Buner. A large voter turnout was witnessed in Mardan. Bomb disposal unit officials cleared all polling stations in Kohat before polling began. Section 144 remained imposed. Votes were also cast at eight stations of DI Khan’s six UCs.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 31st, 2015.