For the first time

The citizens of the former tribal districts have voted in provincial elections for the first time in the history of our nation, marking a key step in the merger of those areas into Pakistan’s administrative and constitutional mainstream. On July 20, polls took place across the seven districts that the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) had been composed of. Sixteen seats in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial assembly were up for grabs and more than 280 candidates including two women stood for election.

The majority of the contenders were independents, but all the major national parties were represented in these historic polls. About 2.7 million people were eligible to vote, with large turn outs reported at polling stations.

Tariq Khan

Karachi