WANA: As many as 110 women teachers have been suspended over refusal to carryout election duties in PK-113 constituency of South Waziristan tribal district.
Asif Khattak, returning officer of PK-113, said while talking to TNN that all the preparations have been completed for holding elections on 16 general seats of tribal districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly. He said training of polling staff has been completed and installation of 50 percent CCTV cameras at polling stations has also been completed. He said polling material has been sent to returning officers which will be dispatched to Tank Jirga Hall on July 19.
Asif Khattak said the real problem in the constituency is about women polling staff. He said the education and health departments have been requested to provide women staff and they are fully cooperating. However, he said, several women staff from Education Department have not showed up despite several notices.
The returning officer said 110 female teachers have been suspended over non-cooperation and letters will be written to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and Secretary Education for further action against them. He said strict action must be taken against such female staff to that it serves an example for other staff and no one refuses to perform national duty.
When contacted, Sohail Ahmed, spokesman for the Election Commission in KP, said he was unaware of the issue and the electoral body hasn’t received such complaint yet. He said 376 female staff has been appointed in South Waziristan and no complaint about any female staff has been received so far.
As many as 1,897 polling stations have been set up in tribal districts in which 504 have been declared highly sensitive. According to details released by the ECP, 882 polling stations have been declared normal, 461 have been declared sensitive and 504 most sensitive. Most of the highly sensitive polling stations are in North and South Waziristan tribal districts.
The Election Commission has said it has taken special measures to ensure that pregnant women, transgender persons and specially-abled people can participate in the July 20 elections in tribal districts and cast their votes.