A high-level meeting held on Monday in the office of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief secretary reviewed arrangements for the second phase of the Local Government (LG) polls in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Secretary Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Umair Hameed Khan and Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Dr Shehzad Bangash presided over the meeting jointly. Besides IGP, IGFC, Secretary Home & Tribal Affairs, Secretary Local Government, Special Secretary Election Commission and Provincial Election Commissioner (PEC) and other authorities also attended the meeting, which was given a detailed briefing regarding security arrangements. Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners concerned participated in the meeting via video conference.
On this occasion, the Secretary Election Commission directed strict security arrangements in highly sensitive, women’s polling stations and special care for women and other deprived segments of society at the polling stations. Chief Secretary Bangash, meanwhile, asked divisional and district officers to install cameras at sensitive polling stations. He said that the display of arms during elections would be banned and asked the district administrations to impose section 144 and take necessary steps in this connection.
Meanwhile, Provincial Secretary Information of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Zahir Shah Toru on Monday said that the PTI would sweep the upcoming local government polls in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as Islamabad’s public gathering has proved that the whole nation is standing with Prime Minister Imran Khan. In a press statement issued on Monday, Toru said “the looters of the national exchequer will face defeat on all fronts”.
He claimed the masses would vote in favour of PTI candidates in the next phase of LG polls in KP to be held in 18 districts on March 31. The masses have proved that they are supporting Imran Khan because they want the development and prosperity of the nation, he said. The opposition would face defeat on all fronts, including LG polls and vote of no-confidence in the National Assembly, Toru said.
The PTI office-bearer said the mammoth gathering of people at ‘Amr bil Maroof’ public gathering of his party last Sunday has proved that the masses have great confidence in the leadership of Imran Khan and are still supporting the premier and would continue to do so in the future as well. He said the agitation by opposition parties is based on hiding their theft and to get the”NRO”, which has been categorically refused by Prime Minister Imran Khan.
In this connection, he said, some international anti-Pakistan forces are also supporting the opposition parties for creating hurdles in the way of Prime Minister Imran Khan who, he said, is working day and night for the betterment of the nation and development of the country.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Police have cancelled the vacations of police personnel ahead of the local government elections in the remaining 65 Tehsils (sub-districts) of the province on March 31. Inspector General (IG) Moazzam Jah Ansari on Monday directed all on-leave personnel to report to the police stations concerned. The IGP also directed the police high-ups not to accept leave applications until the completion of the election process.
Also, Chairman Chamkani Tehsil Arbab Mohammad Omar has demanded immediate transfer of powers to the newly elected local government representatives to resolve the problems of the people at the grassroots level at the earliest. He said the local government system had a very important role in democracy, the continuity of which is very important to resolve the masses’ problems at their doorstep.
