KP Assembly polls in merged districts

PESHAWAR: Up to 2,662,550 registered voters in the erstwhile Fata would exercise their right to vote for the first time in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly election scheduled for July 2.

According to the elections schedule, polling would be held for 16 provincial assembly seats in the merged districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A total of 1,943 polling stations have been established for the upcoming polls. Under the 25th constitutional amendment, the tribal areas were merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on May 31, 2018. The people of the merged districts would for the first time get representation in the provincial assembly. They already have 20 seats in the parliament, including 12 in the National Assembly and eight in the Senate. As per population, the former tribal agencies and semi-tribal areas have been divided into 16 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly constituencies. Bajaur and Khyber districts will have three provincial assembly constituencies each while Mohmand, Kurram, South Waziristan and North Waziristan districts would have two provincial assembly seats each. Orakzai and the former Frontier Regions (FRs) would have one each provincial assembly seat. Four seats have been reserved for women while one seat for the members of the minorities residing in the tribal districts. It is the first time that women and the minorities would be represented in any democratic institution. According to the information provided by ECP, a total of 15,99,384 male registered voters and 10,63,166 female voters have been registered in the merged districts. Bajaur has the highest number of voters (522,480), followed by Khyber district with 490,030 registered voters.

Out of the total 1,943 polling stations, 497 polling stations have been established for male voters and 390 for women. The joint polling stations tally is 1,056. Bajaur has been divided into three provincial assembly constituencies. It already has two NA seats. Khyber also has three provincial assembly seats and two in the NA. About 271,251 registered voters in Mohmand district would elect two MPAs in the KP Assembly. As many as 352,794 registered voters in the Kurram district would cast their votes for two provincial assembly seats.