According to details collected from the officials of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) as many as 946 candidates, mostly associated with the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), have returned unopposed during the first phase of the Local Body (LB) polls.
The first of the local bodies’ elections are scheduled to be held on June 26 in 14 districts of the province. According to the official statistics shared by the ECP with media persons on Tuesday as many as 946 candidates contesting elections in different wards of the towns and union have been declared successful unopposed as no rival candidates for their nomination papers against them.
From Jacobabad 135 candidates, Mirpurkhas 65, Sanghar 87, Kashmore-Kandhkot 96, Qambar-Shahdadkot 70, Shikarpur 94, Umerkot 69, Ghotki 48, Shaheed Benazirabad 105, Khairpur 67, Tharparkar 18, Larkana 11, Sukkur 34 and in Naushahro Feroze 48 candidates have unofficially been declared successful unposed. According to details most of the successful candidates are associated with the ruling PPP. Now elections would be held in 5,331 seats of the councillors and chairman/vice-chairman of the union councils on June 26 during the first phase.
Separately, Deputy Commissioner Aamir Husain Panhwar on Tuesday chaired a meeting to review security and administrative arrangements for the local government elections scheduled on June 26. The meeting was attended by Regional Election Commissioner and District Returning Officer SBA Naveed Aziz, District Election Commissioner Pervez Ahmed Kalwar, District Education Officer Qurban Ali Rahu, Additional Director Local Government Abdul Sattar Rathore, Deputy Director Education Javed Ahmed Unar, all assistant commissioners, police officials and returning officers.
Regional Election Commissioner and DRO Shaheed Benazirabad Naveed Aziz and Returning Officers briefed the meeting about arrangements and possible issues. The DC directed the concerned officials to ensure the availability of security officials, drinking water, washrooms, and other facilities at polling stations across the district. He instructed XEN Education Works to take immediate steps for arranging necessary facilities at schools and other government buildings during local government elections and complete the work in time. The DC also directed assistant commissioners of all tehsils of the district to visit and inspect the availability of required facilities at polling stations.
