ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday submitted a letter of request for the deployment of the Army during the by-elections in NA-18, Haripur, after the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister’s controversial speech.
The Election Commission of Pakistan wrote a letter to the government, requesting the deployment of the Army during the by-elections in Haripur, citing the KP CM’s last day’s proactive speech in Havelian.
The ECP has scheduled by-elections in NA-18 on November 23 in Haripur after the seat fell vacant due to the disqualification of former NA opposition leader Omar Ayub Khan.
The ECP has expressed deep concern over provocative speeches in the KP Chief Minister’s rally, which incite the public against government officials, putting them at great risk.
“Chief Minister’s speech created an atmosphere of threats and fear for election officers, his aggressive language can hinder the work of government officials,” The ECP letter reads.
The Election Commission also objects to the presence of a fugitive person in the rally with the Chief Minister
The ECP directed the federal government to take immediate action and recommended calling in the army due to the fear of danger to the lives of election staff and the public.
Read also: Three day holiday announced in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
The district administration of Haripur has announced a three-day holiday ahead of the NA-18 by-elections scheduled on November 23. The NA-18 seat fell vacant after the disqualification of former opposition leader Omar Ayub Khan.
According to a notification issued by the Deputy Commissioner of Haripur the other day, it states that in view of the upcoming by-elections for NA-18 scheduled on November 18 in the district of Haripur, there will be a three-day local holiday across the district to ensure smooth and uninterrupted conduct of the elections process and all designated polling stations remain fully available.
It stated that the local holiday has been declared for three days, from November 22 to November 24, during the by-elections in the district.
The notification stated that the holiday was announced to ensure a smooth and uninterrupted election process.
It added that all private and government schools will remain closed for three days to use them for election polling.
According to the Election Commission of Pakistan, the NA-18 Haripur by-election is scheduled for November 23, and it has established a total of 602 polling stations across the constituency to ensure a smooth and peaceful voting process.
ECP said that a total of nine candidates were contesting the by-election on NA-18, including representatives from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
According to political analysts, a strong contest is expected between the spouse of Omar Ayub Khan, Ms Shehrnaz and PML-N Babar Nawaz Khan.
