KARACHI: With a few incidents of violence and clashes among the workers of different political parties, voting is underway today (Sunday) for the first phase of local government elections in 14 districts from four divisions of Sindh.
The polling began at 8am and will continue until 5pm without any pause.
The 14 districts of Sindh include Larkana, Kambar-Shahdadkot, Shikarpur, Jacobabad, Kashmore, Sukkur, Ghotki, Khairpur, Naushehro Feroze, Shaheed Benazirabad, Sanghar, Mirpurkhas, Umerkot and Tharparkar.
Elections in the rest of the districts of Sindh will be held on July 24, The News reported.
At least 21,298 candidates are in the field against 6,277 seats of 101 town committees, 23 municipal committees, 14 district councils, four municipal corporations, eleven town municipal corporations and 887 union councils and union committees.
Election postponed in few wards over misprinting
The local body elections were postponed in a few wards due to misprinting (typographical error) of the names of candidates in the ballot papers, confirmed a spokesperson of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
He maintained that the ECP will issue a new schedule for elections on the seats. The spokesperson said that the ECP has launched an inquiry in this regard.
Candidates stage protest
Meanwhile, several candidates in Nawabshah staged protests over misprinting of election symbols in the ballot papers. A TLP candidate was of the view that he was allotted the symbol of a “crane” but it was printed as a “queen” in the ballot papers. The presiding officer stopped the voting process on the seat.
It is pertinent to mention here that the election commission has established 9,023 polling stations, including 1,895 for women, to facilitate over 11 million registered voters.
According to a spokesperson of the ECP, Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja is monitoring the polling process in the province.
Meanwhile, monitoring cells have been established in Islamabad and at the office of the Sindh election commissioner to ensure transparent elections, the spokesperson added.
In addition to this, at least 1,985 polling stations have been declared highly sensitive and 3,448 sensitive. Paramilitary Rangers and police have been deployed at 2,980 highly sensitive polling stations across the province.
CCTV cameras have been installed at the most sensitive polling stations.
