Landikotal, May 12: Mismanagement and indiscipline deprived thousands of tribal women from casting votes in NA 45 Khyber Agency. Scuffle, fights and firing on female polling stations were observed in
Landikotal, FRC reporter told.
Candidates and their supporters alleged one another for rigging and cheating at various polling stations. The female polling stations’ staff was incompetent and inexperienced which caused delaying the polling process and the polling process was stopped for many hours at female polling stations in Landikotal, Khyber Agency.
There was total order and discipline observed at the male polling stations that is why thousands of men and youngsters thronged to cast votes at various polling stations. Any untoward situation did not happen in Landiikotal as well as in Jamrud.
Two candidates’ supporters’ also resorted to aerial firing on Sadu Khel female polling station, but the security forces controlled the situation timely. The errors in voters’ lists and the establishment of polling stations at far flung areas also deprived thousands of female from casting votes.
The overall polling process at male polling stations was normal, locals observed .For the first time in the history of the tribal regions after the extension of the political parties’ act to FATA, a big crowd of women was observed at polling station, which is a positive development in FATA, Imran Shinwari opined, saying the election process would be free and fair with the passage of time.
The candidates and their supporters at some occasions raised objections on rigging at female polling stations but no action was taken to stop the malpractices, locals observed.
Election Commission of Pakistan has not declared the official results of the polling till the filling of this report.
