The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Tuesday declared as many as 2,858 polling stations most sensitive and 4,071 sensitive of the total 11,154 polling stations in Khyber Pakhtunkhawa, where local government elections are scheduled to be held on May 30. Besides, the ECP issued notices to a number of provincial government officials, Parliamentarians including Prime Minister's son-in-law Captain Muhammad Safdar (Retd) (NA-21) over violation of ECP code of conducts.
To ensure security during the election campaign, it has been made mandatory for all the candidates to seek permission from the district administration and district police before holding any public meeting so that appropriate security arrangements can be made. Peshawar Division (Peshawar, Charsadda, and Nowshera) is top of seven divisions of KP where 945 polling stations were declared most sensitive, 861 sensitive and only 340 polling stations were considered normal out of total 2146 polling stations.
Mardan Division (Mardan, Swabi) is second on the list where most sensitive polling stations are 456, sensitive 696, normal 557 out of 1709 polling stations. Malakand Division (Swat, Shangla, Buner, Dir Lower, Dir Upper, Malakand, Chitral) stands third where 404 were declared most sensitive, 698 sensitive and 1388 normal out of total 2490 polling stations.
Kohat Division has 131 most sensitive polling stations, Bannu Division 209 most sensitive polling stations. Similarly, Hazara Division has 350 and Dera Ismail Khan Division has 363 most sensitive polling stations. The ECP already put a ban on display of weapons/arms, wall chalking of objectionable material and speeches inciting violence. The police force has been directed to enhance intelligence gathering and keeping a close liaison with allied intelligence agencies for having a close watch on potential law and order situations, security threats and any tension between contesting candidates for defusing the same through preventive action. Police officers have been directed to remain neutral during the election process.