ECP completes arrangements for by-elections in NA-45 Kurram, PK-63

PESHAWAR: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has finalized arrangements for holding by-elections on the vacant National Assembly seat NA-45 Kurram and Provincial Assembly Khyber Pakhtunkhwa seat PK-63 Nowshera-III on February 19.

A public holiday has been declared in both the constituencies to facilitate voters to exercise their right to vote on the polling day.

According to a press release issued by the ECP on Tuesday, the election campaign will end at midnight between February 17 and 18.

In total, it says that more than 330,000 people will exercise their right to vote. Polling will start at 8 am and will continue till 5 pm without any break, however, the voters present in the premises of the polling station will be allowed to cast their votes even after 5 pm.

All polling staff has been properly trained, and instructed to remain neutral on polling day.

Elaborate security arrangements have been made to deal with any untoward situation, and all presiding officers have been assigned magisterial powers.

As many as 57 polling stations in PK-63 Nowshera have been declared sensitive while 31 highly sensitive.

In NA-45, 30 polling stations have been declared sensitive and 12 polling stations have been declared high sensitive.

In constituency PK-63 four candidates from different political parties including Ikhtiyarwali of PML-N, Sanuallah Jan of Tehreek-e-Labeek, Mian Muhammad Omar of PTI and Wajahatullah of Awami National Party(ANP) are in run in the said constituency.

While 27 candidates are contesting election in NA-45 Kurram including independent candidate Arshad Zaman Bangash, Azram Khan, Ismail Khan, Amjad Ali, Javed, Habib Malik, Khiyal Marjan, Rakhmeen Khan, Rasool Gul, Syed Jamal, Saifullah, Sher Mohammad Khan, Abdul Qadir, Inayatullah, Eid Gul Mengal, Mohammad Ismail, Mohammad Shoaib, Mohammad Kamil, Mohammad Luqman, Mohammad Yousuf, Malik Rasheed Ahmad Khan, Maula Jan and Niaz Badshah besides Jamil Khan from Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam(F), Rafiullah from PPPP, Fakhr Zaman Khan from PTI and Nowruz Khan from ANP.