Pakistan: Polling underway in 63 vacant local government seats in Sindh

Karachi: By-elections are underway in vacant seats in local government bodies in 24 districts of Pakistan's Sindh province, including all seven districts of Karachi on Sunday, The News International reported on Sunday.
The by-elections are being held across the province for a total of 63 seats, according to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). The campaigning for the elections for the contesting candidates concluded on Friday at midnight. The voting for the by-elections started at 8 am and will go on till 5 pm today.
In Karachi, there will be by-elections for 15 vacant seats of ward members as well as the chairs and vice chairs of 11 union committees (UCs).
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), which is currently the largest party in the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, is followed closely by Jamaat-e-Islami, depending on the outcomes of the 11 UCs, as per The News International.
The 11 UCs in Karachi include UC-4 New Karachi, UC-6 North Nazimabad, and UC-13 New Karachi in District Central; UC-2 Korangi, UC-3 Shah Lateef Town and UC-8 Landhi in District Korangi; UC-1 Orangi, UC-2 Orangi and UC-8 Mominabad in District West; UC-2 Bihar Colony in District South; and UC-2 Baldia in District Keamari.
The PPP had questioned the ECP for holding the by-elections prior to the mayoral elections, arguing that this would set a wrong precedent. The ECP, however, turned down the PPP's demand.
For the by-elections in Sindh, where 434 candidates are running, a total of 449 polling places have been set up. These by-elections in the province are open to more than 690,000 voters, according to The News International.
In the province, 292 voting places have been designated as highly sensitive from a security perspective. Dr Muhammad Sohail Rajput, the chief secretary of Sindh, has requested that the installation of closed-circuit television cameras for electronic surveillance of such polling places be made in order to maintain security on election day.
He also ordered to ensure water supply, electricity and other important amenities at the polling stations.
All the presiding officers had been asked to do their best to ensure peaceful and fair conduct of the polls. All the polling agents of the contesting candidates would get the form 11 and form 12 on a timely basis after the completion of the polling process for maintaining transparency, a press release issued by the ECP said.
The ECP also said that in all, 168 polling stations in seven districts of Karachi had been declared highly sensitive, as per The News International.
During the city's voting period, over 7,000 police officers would be on duty to maintain law and order. The chief secretary of Sindh and the inspector general of police have been requested by the provincial election commissioner to ensure a fair and peaceful election process.
The provincial election commissioner also issued a warning, stating that anyone found guilty of carelessness or duty-related dereliction with regard to the peaceful and transparent conduct of the by-polls will be taken to task. According to the ECP, a central control room and monitoring cell were set up in Islamabad for three days to keep an eye on the by-elections in Sindh, The News International reported. (ANI)