TIMERGARA, Jan 15: A total of 97,000 fresh votes have been registered in the Lower Dir district, raising the number of total registered voters to 490,042.

Of these, 290,968 are male and 199,074 are female, said district election officer Inayatur Rahman while talking to Dawn on Tuesday. He said number of polling stations in the district had also been increased to 308 from 259.

He maintained that 27,241 fresh votes had been registered in PK-94 Timergara, 20,621 in PK-95 Jandol, 29,949 in PK-96 Maidan and 40,328 in PK-97 Adenzai, respectively. He said six separate polling stations would be set up for women to ensure their voting in the district while another six joint stations would also be set up.

The election commission, he said would take adequate steps for women participation in electoral process during next elections.

Meanwhile, the provincial general secretary of the treasuries and accounts staff association, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sirajul Islam while talking to Dawn on Tuesday demanded of the accountant general to abolish the 50 per cent quota in district and agency accounts’ offices.

He said the treasury staff had been waiting for promotion since long while 50 per cent quota had been specified for AG staff which was not acceptable to them.

BAR ELECTIONS: Malik Sher Hayat was elected as president while Mohammad Salim as general secretary of the Lower Dir district bar association on Tuesday. Election supervisor Jehan Bahadar advocate announced the result and said all office-bearers were elected unopposed after a consensus among senior lawyers affiliated with different political parties. Malik Sher Hayat was elected president, Ihsanullah vice president, Mohammad Salim general secretary, Jamal Khan joint secretary and Irfan finance secretary for the next term, respectively. — Correspondent