ECP postpones election in merged tribal districts for 18 days

PESHAWAR - The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) postponed polls in the merged tribal districts for 18 days, on Wednesday.

ECP spokesperson Altaf Khan said the polls watchdog postponed the election on 16 seats of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly in tribal districts till July 20 after a request made by the provincial government.

Polling was scheduled to be held on 16 seats of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly in tribal districts on July 2, however, the KP government in its letter to the ECP had outlined certain reasons for seeking delay in the practice.

It had requested the ECP to postpone the election for 20 days which is within the constitutional limit of 25th of July, 2019 for holding the elections in the merged tribal districts.

https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/headline/kpk-govt-requests-ecp-to-postpone-elections-in-tribal-district-for-provincial-assembly/

KP Home and Tribal Affairs Department to the ECP secretary stated on June 3 that the current unwarranted situation and threats of [a] serious nature from across the border and some developments within [the] newly merged districts ‘may sabotage the whole process of holding forthcoming elections’.

The regime cited reasons including threats of terrorist activities from across the border/neighbouring Afghanistan with newly merged districts (NMDs), threat to political leadership of NMDs, post-merger issues of ex-Fata into KP, fresh developments in North Waziristan, change of command of Levies and Khasadar personnel from deputy commissioners to district police officers.