Polling for by-elections on one National Assembly seat (NA-35) and nine provincial assembly seats remained peaceful in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Polling commenced at 8am and continued till 5pm, with 59 candidates - including seven for one National Assembly seat (NA-35) and 52 for nine provincial assembly seats in KP.
Stringent security measures were taken place with deployment of police personnel outside the polling stations backed by security forces. A large number of women voters were seen outside the polling stations in PK-78 Peshawar, wherein charged workers also raised slogans in favour of their candidates. The polling remained largely peaceful as no incident of clash or brawl between political workers was reported from any part of the province. National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser cast his vote in the PK-44 Swabi constituency. Defence Minister Pervez Khattak cast his vote in the PK-64 Naushehra, the seat was vacated by him and contested his brother Liaqat Khattak.
The Election Commission of Pakistan has received complaints that women in Naushehra are not being allowed to vote in the ongoing by-election.
According to the election body's Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa spokesperson Sohail Ahmed, ECP has taken notice of the issue and sought details from District Returning Officer Jahanzaib Khan. "Our district returning officer and other officials have reached the area and are holding a jirga with the elders," Ahmed said, adding that the issue would be resolved soon.
The District Returning Officer (DRO) in Naushehra told the media that issue regarding women not being allowed to vote has been resolved. Officials of district administration and the Election Commission of Pakistan held a jirga with local elders who gave the assurance that women will cast their vote.
"The elders assured that after Zuhr prayers, women will go to polling stations to cast their vote," said the DRO. When asked who stopped the women, the DRO said it has been the custom in the area. "In 2013 and 2018 general elections, women did not vote," he said, adding that he hoped they would this time.
The National Assembly seat from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Bannu (NA-35) was vacated by Prime Minister Imran Khan, who had defeated former KP chief minister Akram Khan Durrani in the July 25 polls, while seven candidatees had contested for the seat The PTI has fielded Naseem Ali Shah, the son of former MNA Maulana Naseeb Ali Shah, against Zahid Akram Durrani, son of former CM Akram Durrani. A total of 582,785 people, including 330,525 men and 252,260 women, can cast their votes in the constituency.
For the provincial assembly constituencies, the by-elections will be held in PK-3 Swat, PK-7 Swat, PK-44 Swabi, PK-53 Mardan, PK-61 Naushehra, PK-64 Naushehra, PK-78 Peshawar, and PK-97 and PK-99 D I Khan. This time, the MMA has fielded Zahid Durrani, the son of Akram Durrani, to face PTI's Naseem Ali Shah.
In PK-78 and PK-99, the July 25 elections had been postponed due to the killing of candidates Haroon Ahmad Bilour of the ANP and Ikramullah Khan Gandapur of the PTI, resppectively, in suicide attacks In PK-78 Peshawar, late Haroon Bilour's wife Samar Haroon Bilour is the ANP's candidate and she is facing PTI's Mohammad Irfan.
Late Ikramullah Gandapur's son is the PTI's candidate for PK-99 D I Khan seat. PK-44 Swabi fell vacant after Asad Qaiser retained his National Assembly seat. Asad Qaiser's brother Aqibullah Khan has now been awarded the PTI ticket. Defence Minister Pervez Khattak vacated two provincial assembly seats in Naushehra (PK-61 and PK-64). His son Mohammad Ibrahim Khattak and brother Liaquat Khan are now contesting for the two seats.
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