Polling underway for NA-4 by-elections in Peshawar

PESHAWAR - The process of voting at polling stations of the NA-4 constituency in Peshawar began today (Thursday) at 8am, in what appeared to be a test for popularity of PTI rules in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

It is the first elections in Pakistan in which electronic voting machines are being used at 100 polling stations.

The seat fell vacant after the death of PTI MNA Gulzar Khan.

As a whole 397,952 registered voters, including 235,127 men and 162,825 women will take part in the voting. The ECP has declared 182 polling stations the most sensitive and 82 sensitive due to security situation.

Today, a heavy contingent to Pakistan Army has been deployed at the polling stations to prevent any untoward situation, besides police officials are also deployed at the stations.

On the other hand, The ECP has authorised all presiding officers to exercise the powers of first class magistrate in order to control any uncertain situation.

In order to facilitate the voters, the local administration has announced public holiday in the constituency, besides banning use of mobile phones inside the polling stations.

As per the directions of the Election Commission of Pakistan, the election campaign was ended Tuesday midnight by the political parties.

In the by-elections, six candidates of differing political parties including, PTI, PML-N and eight independent are contesting the elections.

PTI’s Arbab Amir Ayub, PPP's Asad Gulzary, ANP's Khushdil Khan, Jamaat-e-Islami’s (JI) Wisal Farooq, Tehreek-e-Labaik’s Allama Shafiq Amini, and PML-N's Nasir Khan Moosa Zai are in the spotlight.