PESHAWAR, May 16: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz candidate for NA-38, Kurram Agency Naveed Orakzai on Thursday urged the Election Commission of Pakistan to delay election in his constituency due to the deteriorating law and order situation.

Mr Orakzai told a news conference at Peshawar Press Club that ECP had announced schedule for election on NA-38 seat but it was impossible to hold the electoral exercise under the current delicate security circumstances.

He said the maximum number of voters from the constituency would be unable to exercise their franchise due to military operation and dislocation of local residents. “It will be in the best interest of the people to delay the election,” he said.

The PML-N candidate said more than 40,000 people had been moved from the agency to Peshawar, Kohat and other areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He said the holding of election under the current circumstances was tantamount to depriving a large number of registered NA-38 voters of their right to vote.

Mr Orakzai accused the local political administration of supporting Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl candidate Munir Khan Orakzai to ensure his success in the election.

He asked the government and ECP to immediately reshuffle the political administration to ensure free, fair and transparent election.

The PML-N candidate said it was the duty of the political administration to arrange shelter and food for the displaced persons but it had done nothing for it and rather misused its powers.

He demanded that ECP delay the election until restoration of peace in Kurram Agency so that the people could return to their homes to cast vote.

Also in the day, senior vice president of Chamkani Union Imran Khan Chamkani demanded that the election in the NA-38 constituency be delayed until the displaced persons were rehabilitated.

He said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Engineer Shaukatullah should ensure provision of basic facilities to the Kurram Agency residents.

Mr Chamkani said militancy had made the local residents’ life extremely miserable.

He said of the total 150,000 registered voters, around 30,000 had been out of the area and would be unable to poll ballot if elections were not delayed.