LANDI KOTAL, April 7: The political administration has declared 110 polling stations out of the total 190, to be set up for the two National Assembly seats -- NA-45 and NA-46 -- in Khyber Agency, as sensitive.

Assistant Political Agent Mohammad Nasir, also returning officer for NA-46, told Dawn that almost all 74 polling stations to be established in Bara and Jalozai camp were prone to threats. He said that administration would make stringent security arrangements to hold free, fair and peaceful elections.

The official said that 16 polling stations would be established at Jalozai and four at Durrani camp near Sadda in Kurram Agency to facilitate internally displaced families from Bara and Tirah in casting their votes.

“It is no doubt an upheaval task but we are prepared to accomplish the task,” he said after the final list of the candidates for NA-46 was made public.

Mr Nasir said that the administration wanted to establish some polling stations along the Ring Road in Peshawar for Bara IDPs living in Peshawar and its peripheries.

“The provincial government, however, has turned down our proposal and now we are compelled to make arrangements for holding elections in Bara and at the two IDP camps,” he added.

The official said that holding elections at Jalozai and Durrani camps was a complicated issue but they were working day and night with close coordination with officials of Election Commission of Pakistan to make it possible “We have asked ECP to provide us with a list of voters residing at Jalozai and also Fata Disaster Management Authority to help us in locating the IDPs so that maximum of them are provided with a chance to exercise their right to vote,” the official said.

Assistant Political Agent Jamrud Jahangir Azam Wazir, also returning officer for NA-45, told Dawn that out of the total 116 polling stations in Landi Kotal and Jamrud, 36 were declared as sensitive.

He said that they were in contact with security officials to devise a foolproof plan for the upcoming elections.

“We intend to hold elections at all the sensitive stations with increased security,” Mr Wazir said, adding that administration had already requested for deployment of army and Frontier Corps alongside Khasadar and Levies during the elections at all the sensitive polling stations.

Meanwhile, returning officer for NA-46 rejected the nomination papers of former senator Nasir Khan and his brother Momin Khan for allegedly concealing some criminal proceedings against them in their papers. Another candidate Hamidullah Jan Afridi, who is a former MNA, had challenged their nomination papers.

Also nomination papers of Tawab Sher, Taj Mohammad, Shafeequllah and Rehmatullah were rejected by the returning officer for NA-45.

RECOVERED: The administration on Sunday recovered an abducted trader and arrested two kidnappers during a raid in Ghundi area.

The assistant political agent said that Salik Shah, a businessman, was abducted from Jamrud Bazaar a month ago and was kept in a house in Ghundi area.

He said that a raid was conducted at the house after receiving information about the presence of both the kidnappers and the abducted trader there. He said that two kidnappers were arrested and the businessman was recovered unharmed.