General Election Begins In Bajaur Over Three Provincial Assembly Seats

BAJAUR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Feb, 2024) Like other parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the polling of votes for the most awaited General Election 2024 was started in all three provincial assembly Constituencies apart from the NA-8 and PK-22 which had been postponed due to the assassination of one of the candidates.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Assembly has 145 elected members, 115 regular seats, 26 seats reserved for women and 04 seats for Non-Muslims. The Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is elected by the Chief Minister of the Province who forms a Cabinet of Ministers to oversee various Departments.

A total of 50 candidates are in the running for the three provincial assembly seats in the Bajaur District. The total number of male and female voters in three provincial constituencies is 4,88,873 and the total number of male voters is 2, 66, 169. The total number of women voters is 2, 22, 644. A total of 275 polling stations have been set up for the elections with 257 joint polling stations for men and women have been established.

The Election Commission has declared 63 polling stations as the most sensitive, 109 polling stations have been declared sensitive and 65 as normal with 2526 policemen deployed for security. A ban has been imposed on the display of all types of weapons in the district under Section 144.

The polling is in full swing on all three provincial assembly seats across the district. Most of the candidates are giving more priority to the women voters in Bajaur District, which are 48 percent of the total population.

A total of 50 candidates are in the run for three provincial assembly seats - PK-19 Bajaur-I, PK-20 Bajaur-II, PK-21 Bajaur-III while election on PK-22 Bajaur-IV, had been postponed along with NA-8. There are seven candidates to run for PK-19 Bajaur-I, 11 for PK-20 Bajaur-II, 18 for PK-21 Bajaur-III. Malik Hikmatullah Mamond of ANP, Ikram Khan of PMLN, Malik Ayaz of JI, Said Rahim Shah Sabawoon of Mazloom Ulasi Tehreek while independent candidates Dr Hameedur Rahman, Malik Khalid Khan and Rahimdad Khan are contesting elections on PK-19 Bajaur-I.

On PK-20 Bajaur-II constituency, there are a total of 11 candidates in the election arena – Maulana Waheed Gul of JI, Shahabuddin Khan of PMLN, Maulana Abdur Rashid of JUIF, Akhunzada Chattan of PPP, Gul Afzal Khan of ANP, Burhanuddin of Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Shahid Azam of Tehreek-e-Darveshan Pakistan, Sher Ahmad of JUI-S while former minister Anwarzeb Khan, Muambar Khan and Muhammad Saeed Khan are contesting elections in independent capacity.

Similarly, there are more independent candidates, including a woman, out of the total 18 to contest elections on PK-21 Bajaur-III. The candidates comprising Rashid Khan of ANP, Shakil Khan of PPP, Haji Sardar Khan of JI, Muhammad Zahoor Khan of PMLN, Muhammad Tariq of JUIF, Muhammad Asghar Khan Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, Zair Muhammad of MUT. While the lone woman candidate Sultanat Bibi, Malik Umar Wahid, Engr Ajmal Khan, Badshah Rawan, Jumma Said, Hazoor Khan, Samiullah, Shakirullah and Shah Salim are contesting polls as independents in this constituency.

Also, there are a total of 14 candidates to test their luck in the forthcoming elections in PK-20 Bajaur-IV constituency. Abdullah advocate of PPP, Shah Naseer Khan of ANP, Siraj Khan of JI, Imran Mahir of JUIF, Lalishah Pakhtunyar of MUT, Nawabzada Jalauddin Khan of PTIP, while Aurangzeb Iqilabi, Ijaz Khan, Hayat Khan, Guldad Khan, Gul Munir, Laiqzada, Muambar Khan and Noor Shah are contesting elections in independent capacity.

Likewise, in other provincial assembly constituencies, leading political parties and the election candidates termed the success in the election with women voters are the key, especially Bajaur District which is why election candidates are focusing more on women voters.

The political parties and the contesting independent candidates are making efforts to ensure maximum participation of women voters as ECP has declared 10 per cent women votes in a constituency must for validity of the polling process.

APP/ijz/0930