PESHAWAR: Though Khyber Pakhtunkhwa largely remained peaceful on the polling day on Wednesday, clashes in Swabi, Charsadda and Kohistan left two people dead and several injured.

Also, 20 people suffered injuries in Kohistan district after voters of rival candidates clashed at two polling stations.

Officials in Swabi district said PTI worker Shah Zeb died after the guard of ANP candidate Amir Rehman fired bullets at him after heated exchanges.

CM asks authorities to submit report

Shah Zeb’s father, Mukhtiar Bacha, and Saleem and Shahzad were injured in the clash. They were shifted to the Mardan Medical Complex and Peshawar hospitals for treatment.

The officials said ANP candidate Amir Rehman, who was also the party’s district president, and his guard, Jan Mohammad had been booked for murder.

Mr Rehman contested election in PK-47 constituency of Swabi district against former senior provincial minister Shahram Khan Tarakai.

Shah Zeb had secured a degree of mechanical engineering from the University of Peshawar last year.

In Charsadda, Qaumi Watan Party candidate Babar Ali Mehmud’s cousin Shiraz Mohmand was killed in an election-related incident in the evening.

The firing left the Shiraz critically injured. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he succumbed to injuries.

In Kohistan, 12 people suffered critical injuries in a clash between supporters of Pattan Ittehad and those of six union council alliances. The two sides attacked each other with clubs and daggers.

The incident occurred after a member of one of the groups attempted to cast vote ahead of his turn.

The returning officer of PK-36 rushed to scene and ordered the suspension of polling, which was later restored.

The injured were taken to the nearby hospital, where the condition of two was stated to be critical.

In another incident, the supporters of Dr Saifur Rehman and his rival candidate, Mufti Obaidur Rehman, attacked each other with sticks and bricks leaving eight members of both sides seriously injured.

The polling was suspended after the incident. However, it was restored after the police stepped in.

Overall, the polling process remained peaceful in upper parts of Hazara division, including Mansehra, Kohistan and Torghar districts.

Interim Chief Minister retired Justice Dost Mohammad Khan also took notice of the Swabi firing incident and directed the district administration to furnish a report about it immediately.

Polling largely remained peaceful as voters thronged polling stations amid strict security.

Most roads in the provincial capital remained deserted. However, hustle and bustle was seen around polling stations.

The police and security forces had made elaborate arrangements for the security of polling stations.

All those entering polling stations were frisked twice. The police personnel searched voters and other observers at the entrance, while the Pakistan Army soldiers checked them afterwards.

Also, voters were barred from taking cellphones inside polling stations.

Inside each polling booth, a soldier was deployed, while there were police and security personnel deputed outside polling stations.

Vehicles and motorcycles were not allowed to park in close proximity of polling stations.

The government deployed more than 70,000 police personnel to ensure peaceful elections and installed over 10,000 CCTV cameras to monitor situation.

The Pakistan Army’s choppers were used for the surveillance of the provincial capital and its outskirts.

Earlier in the day, KP chief secretary Kamran Naveed Baloch, IGP Mohammad Tahir and other officials visited the election-related command and control room in Peshawar.

SSP (operations) Javed Iqbal briefed officials about security situation and said security cameras had been installed at all polling stations in the provincial capital, while feed from those cameras was being recorded at the command and control room.

He said the situation at sensitive polling stations was closely monitored, while security personnel deputed at polling station had been alerted about emergency.

The chief secretary directed officials to ensure peace during polling.

City police chief Qazi Jamilur Rehman visited polling stations in Nudhia Payan area of Peshawar along with civil and military officers and reviewed security situation.

Also, the police and administration visited polling stations to review security arrangements.

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2018