PESHAWAR: The Election Commission of Pakistan on Thursday assigned magisterial powers for three days to the presiding officers of around 568 polling stations in 13 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where fresh voting and re-polling will be held on Feb 13 in connection with the first phase of the local body elections.

A notification in this respect was issued ECP deputy director (local government elections-KP) Naveedur Rehman.

According to it, the presiding officers will exercise the powers of first-class magistrate in connection with different elections related offences under Section 193(a)(b) of the Elections Act, 2017, and Chapter XIV of the KP Local Government Act, 2013. The offences will be tried summarily under the relevant provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

During the first phase of the LG elections on Dec 19, polling didn’t take place in Dera Ismail Khan city council for the mayor’s slot and that of several village and neighbourhood councils in five other districts due to the death of candidates.

Asks government to ensure security of sensitive polling stations on Feb 13

Voting will be held in 331 polling stations in those districts. A total of 1,122 polling booths will be set up for the purpose.

A total of 379,322 people, including 206,183 men and 172,939 women, will exercise their right to vote in the polls.

Similarly, re-polling will be held in 97 village and neighbourhood councils having 237 polling stations with 739 polling booths. On Dec 19, polling was suspended or didn’t take place due to acts of violence.

The eligible voters total 331,150, including 174,609 women and 156,541 men.

The results of elections for 23 of the 65 tehsil nazim and mayor slots weren’t notified due to the issue of re-polling, including that of Peshawar city council’s mayor.

The fresh or re-polling will be held in Peshawar, Nowshera, Khyber, Mohmand, Mardan, Kohat, Karak, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, DI Khan, Buner, Bajaur and Charssada districts.

MEETING HELD: ECP secretary Umer Hameed Khan on Thursday asked the KP government to focus on the security of sensitive polling stations on Feb 13 and install CCTV cameras in most of them.

He also called for the deployment of more police and other security personnel in the sensitive polling stations.

Addressing a special meeting in the office of provincial chief secretary Dr Shehzad Khan Bangash, the ECP secretary said under Article 220 of the Constitution, it was the duty of all relevant authorities in the federation and provinces to help the ECP and chief election commissioner discharge their duties.

“The executive authorities are bound by the Constitution to assist the ECP in holding free, fair and transparent elections and therefore, they should ensure provision of a level-playing field to all candidates and political parties,” he said.

The meeting was attended by establishment secretary Arif Shahbaz, home secretary Khushal Khan, local government secretary Shakeel Ahmad, AIG police Usman Anwar, representatives of 11-Corps Lt-Colonel Haider Zaman and Lt-Colonel Ishtiaq, Frontier Constabulary deputy commandant retired Captain Abdul Saeed, provincial election commissioner Muhammad Raziq, ECP director general Shareefullah Khan, joint provincial election commissioner Mohammad Fareed Afridi, and others.

The ECP secretary urged officers to ensure safe transportation and safety of election staff, especially women, and proper distribution of election material.

He said proper security measures should be taken at the offices of the district returning officers and returning officers at the time of compilation of election results.

AIG Usman Anwar told him that foolproof measures would be adopted for security of highly sensitive, sensitive and normal polling stations.

He said if the need arose, the deficiency of security personnel would be met from that of the reserve police and other district, where polls would not be held.

The representatives of 11-Corps and FC also said the forces would help the local administration and police meet deficiency of security personnel.

The chief secretary said proper security measures would be taken and that the directives issued by the ECP would be followed.

The ECP secretary expressed satisfaction with the measures taken by the provincial government for holding peaceful polls.

PUBLIC NOTICES: The returning officers in 18 districts of the province on Thursday issued public notices inviting nomination papers from candidates for the second phase of local body elections on March 31.

Elections will be held for the posts of mayor and chairman of tehsil and city councils and different categories of members in the village and neighbourhood councils in Abbottabad, Mansehra, Battagram, Torghar, Upper and Lower Kohistan, Kolai-Palas, Swat, Malakand, Shangla, Lower and Upper Dir, Upper and Lower Chitral, Kurram, Orakzai, and North and South Waziristan districts.

According to the public notices, the candidates will submit nomination papers to the respective returning offices from Feb 14 to Feb 18 and their scrutiny will take place between Feb 21 and Feb 23.

Appeals against the acceptance and rejection of nomination papers can be filed from Feb 24 to Feb 26, whereas the relevant appellate tribunal will decide those appeals until March 1.

The last date for the withdrawal of nomination papers by the candidates and publication of the revised lists of candidates is March 3.

The ROs will allot election symbols to candidates on March 4; the polling will be held on March 31, and the consolidation of election results will take place on April 4.

Published in Dawn, February 11th, 2022