CHARSADDA: A multi-party conference here on Saturday rejected the decision to decrease the provincial assembly seats of Charsadda district from six to five in the ongoing delimitation process by the Election Commission of Pakistan.

The conference organised by Jamaat-i-Islami at Markazi-i-Islami here was attended by leaders of JI, Awami National Party, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, Pakistan Peoples Party, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl and other parties and groups.

All the participants unanimously rejected the decision and termed it an injustice with the people and political parties of the district. They urged the quarters concerned to maintain the six seats of Charsadda district in the provincial assembly.

The conference was addressed by JI district chief Mohammad Riaz, general secretary Wali Mohammad Khan, former MPA Mohammad Arshad, ANP’s Qasim Ali, Tehsin Abdullah, JUI-F district chief Mohammad Hashim, Hanifullah Hasrat, PTI district president MPA Arif Ahmedzai, PPP district president Amir Nawaz Khan, PML-N’s Babar Khan Umarzai and others.

Multiparty forum says it would be unjust to deprive the district of one seat

They said that Charsadda district had five provincial assembly constituencies when its population was about 800,000 some 35 years ago. However, in 2002 the district was given an additional seat on the basis of increase in population, they said. They said that Charsadda’s population had doubled now, but despite that it was being deprived of one of its PA seats. They claimed that some localities of Shabqadar had been included in the Peshawar district, which included in Charsadda again. They called another meeting on Monday to devise their future line of action.

DISPLAY OF ARMS BANNED: The district administration has banned display of arms, firing in the air, plying of unregistered motorcycles and rickshaws to eliminate crimes from Charsadda district.

This was stated by district police officer Zahoor Ahmed Afridi at ‘Meet the Press’ programme organised by Mohammadzai Union of Journalists here the other day. The DPO said that steps had been taken to improve security and traffic system in the district.

Mr Afridi said that a security plan had been developed and about 105 educational institutions were issued directives to improve their security arrangements. He said that police personnel were conducting joint raids with the security forces against suspected terrorists and other criminals in different areas of the district. He said that all arms permits had been cancelled, while trained traffic police were being deployed to overcome traffic problems in Charsadda city and Tangi and Shabqadar bazaars.

Published in Dawn, January 14th, 2018