At least 22 killed in blast near Bhutto party's election office in NW Pakistan

Editorial Note: The following news reports are summaries from original sources. They may also include corrections of Arabic names and political terminology. Comments are in parentheses.

www.chinaview.cn 2008-02-16 20:03:47

ISLAMABAD, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) --

At least 22 people were killed and 50 others injured in an explosion Saturday near the election office of late former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party (PPP) in Pakistan's northwestern tribal area, localTV reported.

The blast occurred near an election office of PPP in Parachinar of Kurram Agency in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, DAWN NEWS TV channel reported.

Witnesses said the bomb was kept in a car and exploded at a busy market in Parachinar.

Hussain Shah, a candidate for general elections, was quoted by local TV channel as saying that the bomb exploded near his office at a time when his supporters were gathering there. He said he was not in the office at the time of the blast.

Reports said Hussain Shah would vie for a national assembly seat and PPP had announced support for him.

Earlier reports said suspected militants Saturday blew up three polling stations in Khar, the center of Bajur tribal agency.

Pakistan will hold parliamentary elections on Feb. 18.

Secretary of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Kunwar Dilshad has said that all arrangements have been made to ensure a peaceful and transparent election in the country.

About 81,000 military troops and 400,000 police personnel will be deployed to ensure the election to go peacefully.

As the polling date of the general elections draws near, there are concerns that suicide bomb attacks may grip the country and hinder the elections despite the government's pledge that security arrangements would be foolproof in the period.

President Pervez Musharraf has repeatedly said free, fair and transparent general elections would be held in Pakistan as per schedule.

Election preparations finalized in Pakistan

www.chinaview.cn 2008-02-16 18:42:10

ISLAMABAD, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) --

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has made transparent arrangements for general elections, Secretary of ECP Kunwar Dilshad said on Saturday.

A private TV channel Geo quoted Kunwar Dilshad as saying that the election material of international standards had been sent to the concerned officials, and ballot papers would be handed over to the returning officers on Sunday.

Dilshad said the presiding officers had been directed to hold counting in presence of polling agents of candidates and provide the result to them.

The presiding officers will forward the results to the Returning Officers who will immediately announce the result, he further said, adding that they had also been directed to write the results in words as well as in figures.

The copy of the result will also be provided to media and will be put on at the polling station for general public. The result will be sent to the provincial and central election commissions by fax later.

Kunwar Dilshad said no code of conduct had been prepared for media regarding the election. He said that media could announce results issued by the presiding officer.

The polling has been withheld in only one National Assembly constituency NA-42 due to law and order situation, he said.

Editor: An Lu

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