Counting of votes continue in KP LG polls marred with violence and rigging allegations

Counting of votes across 17 districts is underway at the KP LG polls that have been marred with violence and rigging allegations!

Sunday saw a number of incidents of violence, including a gun attack on a polling station in Karak, during the local government polls in 17 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) districts and left at least two people dead.

The violent incident prompted the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to postpone polling in some areas.

Polling was held in the 17 districts today, including Peshawar, Charsadda, Nowshehra, Mardan, and Peshawar, marked the first phase of the local body polls, with the next phase to take place at a later date.

 

Earlier in the day, unidentified people opened fire at a polling station killing two people and wounding four in the Karak districts’ Faqir Khel area. The firing disrupted the polling process. Additional police and FC contingents have arrived in the area.

While in Bannu’s Bakka Khel Tehsil, soon after the polling began, Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam Fazlur Rehman (JUI-F) candidate Mamoor Khan Wazir alleged that the supporters of KP Transport Minister Shah Muhammad Khan had abducted the polling staff and taken away the electoral material.

While in the Zakka Khel district area, political activists fired gunshots at a polling station which was also vandalized.

Another incident was reported from Bajaur’s Salarzai Tehsil where gunmen opened fire at a Mulla Syed polling station leaving one person injured. The polling was stopped after the violence.

While in Lakki Marwat’s Manjiwala area two groups exchanged fire, forcing voters to run for cover.

The election for the fifth mayoral seat from Dera Ismail Khan was postponed on Saturday after an ANP candidate Umar Khattab Sherani was shot dead by unidentified gunmen.

Around 37,000 candidates are running for 700 vie for the 4 mayoral and 60 Tehsil chairman seats the local government polls.

According to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), 12.66 million voters are registered across the 17 districts, with 7.015 million male voters and 5.653 million female voters.