58 Baghlan polling sites face security threats

PUL-I-KHUMRI (Pajhwok): Police said on Monday at least 60 polling centres set up for the June 14 presidential election runoff faced high security threats in northern Baghlan province.

Police Chief Brig. Gen. Aminullah Amarkhel told Pajhwok Afghan News that 25 of 58 polling centres were under high security threat and 33 sites under average threat.

He said polling sites considred under high security threat were located in Pul-i-Hisar, Tala-Wa-Barfak, Barka and Baghlan-i-Markazi districts.

In the previous elections, a ballot box was thrown into a river by gunmen in Tala-Wa-Barfak district. Militants had clashed with police near polling sites during the April 5 polls, but voters continued thronging polling stations.

The police chief said it was premature to say how many polling sites would remain shut on the Election Day but security forces had planned various operations to ensure security for all sites.

He added 271 polling sites would stay open on the Election Day, the same number as the previous elections . Security forces would strive to keep open a polling site in Pul-e-Hisar district that had been shut in the first round.

Amanullah Habibi, provincial Independent Election Commission (IEC) head, thanked security forces, and said the commission was prepared for the run-off ballot. He was unaware how many of polling sites faced threats.

“We will hold a meeting with the police chief soon to discuss security related problems concerning the fast-approaching election,” he said.

Nazr Gul, a resident of Pul-e-Hisar district, said there had been many problems during the previous election because they suffered difficulties in reaching the district centre to cast vote.

Militants active in the area could bar people from voting if they were not drive from the area, he added.

mds/rm/ma

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