ISLAMABAD: A mayoral candidate was shot dead in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Saturday, a day before the first phase of local government elections kicked off in 17 districts.
Polling started in the province today, Sunday, at 8am, and will close at 5pm. Voting will take place in Charsadda, Nowshehra, Mardan, Peshawar as well as in Khyber, Mohmand Agency, Swabi, Kohat, Karak, Hangu, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Tank, Haripur, Buner, Bajaur, and DI Khan for the Mayor’s and the Chairman Tehsil Councils.
Chairman and members of Village and Neighborhood Councils will also be elected, Pakistan’s Geo News reported.
Strict security arrangements have been made for the polls, with a total of 79,479 officials from various law enforcement agencies deployed in districts where polling is taking place.
Voting in the election of Dera Ismail Khan mayor city council was deferred after Awami National Party (ANP) leader Umar Khattab Sherani, who was a candidate for the tehsil’s mayorship, was shot dead outside his residence early Saturday. District Police Officer Najm ul Hasnain said a case had been registered against two unidentified armed suspects on the complaint of the deceased leader’s brother.
“According to the Election Commission of Pakistan, 12.66 million voters are registered across the 17 districts, with 7. 015 million male voters and 5.653 million female voters,” Geo said. “A total of 9,223 polling stations and 28,892 polling booths have been set up for today’s elections … There are a total of 12.66 million registered voters, 7. 015 male and 5.653 females, in the 17 districts.”
This is for the first time that LG polls are being held in districts that used to be part of Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas and which were governed for over 150 years by colonial era tribal laws until they were merged with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in 2018.
As many as 37,752 candidates are in the run for different categories in the first phase of KP’s local polls. Among them, 689 are running for city and tehsil councils while 19,285 candidates for the slot of general councilors and for chairmen and women in village and neighborhood councils.
“Around 3,905 candidates are flexing their muscles for the seats for women councilors, 7513 for peasant councilors, 6081 for youth councilors and 282 for minority councilors,” Geo said. “As per reports, 876 women councilors have already een elected unopposed in different village and neighborhood councils across the province. A large number of minority councilors have been elected unopposed.”
