Kunaris for voter registration in remote areas

ASADABAD (PAN) to establish the facilities near their homes.

“We live in a remote and mountainous area and can’t go to the district centre to receive voter cards,” said Abdul Jalal, a resident of the Qala village of Watapur town.

He said residents were ready to keep security voter registration centres if established there by the IEC, otherwise he warned many would be deprived of their right vote in the upcoming elections.

A Noor Gal district dweller Maulvi Abdullah came hard on the IEC, saying individuals it had appointed as civic educators had no knowledge about elections.

“Tribal elders and religious scholars should have been hired as educators because they can properly inform people,” he suggested.

“Women in remote areas of Narang district want to get voter cards, but they can’t travel long distance,” resident Attiqullah said.

Up to 55,000 people, including 35 percent women, have so far obtained voter cards in Kunar over the past three months, IEC head for Kunar Shah Jehan Sardari said.

He rejected people’s complaints against civic educators as baseless, saying they had been selected through open competition.

He said 40 individuals had so far received information kits on provincial council elections, but 15 people had registered names to contest the polls slated for April 5.

On demand for more registration centres, the IEC official said he has been in contact with the central office in this regard.

myn/ma