ABBOTTABAD:The Deputy Commissioner Abbottabad Tariq Salam Marwat Saturday imposed a ban on opening election offices and holding rallies near each other on two arch rival groups in Havelian city during the Tehsil Havelian mayor elections.

According to a statement issued by DC Abbottabad that two rival groups contesting LB elections in Havelian where the District Police Officer (DPO) Abbottabad had expressed concern that the political activities of two warring factions in Havelian were threatening the law and order situation.

Keeping in view of this danger, Deputy Commissioner Abbottabad has banned the opposition groups in Havelian Bazaar from opening election offices and holding rallies near each other for 30 days. Violators of this order will be prosecuted according to law.

Conducting elections in Tehsil Havelian was always a serious issue for district administration as the people of Havelian have been divided into factions, sects and casts which has produced enmity and also claimed dozens of lives during the past few years.

One of the banned candidates is the PTI ticket holder Aslam Zar Khan for Tehsil Mayor Havlian and the other is his rival Atif Munsif Khan who is also contesting the elections. More than 10 persons of both groups have lost their lives during the last 20 years following the decades-long enmity.