ECP finishes arrangements for Peshawar by-election
ECP
ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has finished arrangements for holding a by-election in National Assembly constituency NA-4 Peshawar on Thursday, in a free, fair, transparent and peaceful manner.
According to an official of ECP, 14 candidates from various national political parties and independents were contesting the by-election on the seat fell vacant due to the death of former MNA Gulzar Khan of PTI in August this year.
Candidates of major political parties included Nasir Khan Musazai from Pakistan Muslim League (N), Asad Gulzar Khan from People’s Party, Arbab Amir Ayub from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Khushdil Khan from Awami National Party.
The constituency has 397, 904 registered votes, out of which 235,164 are male while 162,740 are female voters.
As many as 269 polling stations including 147 male, 111 female and 11 combined polling stations have been set up in the constituency.
In total 837 polling booths, 492 male and 345 female pooling booths had been set-up by the ECP.
In addition, 269 Presiding Officer, 837 Assistant Presiding Officers and 837 Polling Officers would discharge their duties on the polling day.
The commission would use Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in Peshawar by-election on trial basis in 39 polling stations.
The processing time of casting one vote through these machines would take 20 seconds, adding this new technology was being introduced in by-election to examine the performance and functioning of the machines and to record voters’ problems in using this technology.
According to the ECP, there would be no effect on the result of by-election with use of these machines as this was just a pilot project.
The commission would compile its report after use of these machines in Peshawar by-election and submit it to the parliament, adding under article-103 of new election act 2017, EVM machines would be used as pilot project.
The polling will start from 08:00am and continue till 05:00pm.
There will be a public holiday in Peshawar.
According to the ECP, 7,000 policemen will be deployed while 1,700 personnel of Pakistan Army will perform their duties to ensure security.
Story first published: 25th October 2017
Article source: https://www.samaa.tv/pakistan/2017/10/ecp-finishes-arrangements-peshawar-election/