Two dead as KP local govt elections turn violent

PESHAWAR: The polling day of the first phase of local government elections in 17 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) has turned chaotic with incidents of firing and brawls in which two people have been reportedly killed in different areas on Sunday.

Around 74,500 law enforcement personnel have been deployed in 17 districts to maintain the law and order situation during the first phase of the elections. However, the polling process has been marred by incidents of violence.

Several incidents of bedlam and clashes between the activists of different political parties over allegations of rigging have surfaced.

A man was killed inside a polling station in Lakki Marwat. The incident took place in the limits of Samandar police station. The police officials said the suspects gunned down the man and fled. The body was shifted to a local hospital for medical treatment.

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In another incident in Karak Tehsil, a man was shot dead by opponents while four others sustained bullet injuries.

Sources in Rescue 1122 said the firing incident occurred near the house of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MNA Shahid Khattak.

There are 12.66 million registered voters in 17 districts, with 7. 015 million male voters and 5.653 million female voters, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said.

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Some 9,223 polling stations and 28,892 polling booths have been set up in these districts. ECP has categorised 2,507 polling stations as ‘the most sensitive’, 4,188 as sensitive, and 528 as normal.