Voting for LB polls in KP underway

PESHAWAR: Polling for the first phase of local bodies elections in 17 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is underway, ARY News reported on Sunday.

Polling began at 8 in the morning, will continue till 5 pm without any break.

The districts where polling is underway included Peshawar, Nowshera, Charsadda, Khyber, Mohmand, Mardan, Swabi, Kohat, Karak, Hangu, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, DI Khan, Tank, Haripur, Buner and Bajaur.

The polls in the rest of the province will be held in January in the second phase.

Around 9,223 polling stations and 28,892 polling booths have been set up, out of which 4,188 polling stations have been declared sensitive and 2,507 most sensitive.

According to statistics, 2587 candidates are taking part in the KP elections for general councilor seats in Peshawar.

In Peshawar, there are a total of 558 women candidates in the run for 377 seats, in Nowshera 269 women for 146 seats, in Charsadda 273 candidates for 153 seats, in Mardan 339 candidates on 231 seats, in Swabi 178 women for 160 seats, in Kohat 142 women for 107 seats, in Karak 179 candidates for 61 seats, in Hangu 67 candidates for 62 seats, in Bannu 281 candidates for 116 seats, in Lakki Marwat 347 candidates for 101 seats, in Tank 169 candidates for 78 seats, in DI Khan 388 candidates for 186 seats, in Haripur 261 candidates for 180 seats and in Buner 172 female candidates for 105 seats.

Meanwhile, 19,285 candidates are contesting for the seats of general councillors at 2,359 village councils and neighbourhood councils (VCNCs) while the number of women candidates is 3,870 women seats for the same number of VCNCs.

Similarly, 7,428 candidates are running for peasant/worker seats, 6,011 for youth, and 293 for the minority. Besides, 689 candidates are contesting for the seats of mayor and tehsil chairman.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has established a control room in ECP’s Peshawar office to receive polling day complaints.