In the run-up to the second phase of local government elections in Karachi, more than 43,605 law enforcement officials and personnel will perform their duties under the security plan devised by the Sindh government.
According to the spokesperson of the province’s police, 26,050 officers and personnel will be deployed on election duty at 4,997 polling stations in the city.
Across the 1,048 polling stations of District South, 5,844 officials, personnel and polling staff will be stationed, the spokesperson said.
At least 11,206 and 9,000 have been positioned in District East and West’s 2,046 and 1,903 polling stations, respectively.
A Sindh Police spokesperson also informed about the deployment of 200 Frontier Corp and 500 Rangers personnel for election duty during Sunday’s local body polls in the metropolitan.
All possible measures are being taken to protect the life and property of citizens, the spokesperson stated.
More than 43,605 Karachi police personnel will perform security duty on the day of polling of which 17,588 will be posted in the East zone. Meanwhile, 6,533, 4,837, and 6,218 comprising officers, personnel and staff will be deployed in the District East, Malir, and Korangi, respectively.
The spokesperson added that 11,627, 2,155, 4558 and 4914 personnel have been stationed in the South Zone, District South, District Central, and Keamari, respectively.
Deployment of officers, personnel and staffers in the West Zone, District Central, and District West totalled 14,390, 9,672, and 4,718, respectively.
During the local government polls, 3,800 traffic police personnel will also perform their duties. They will be deployed to assist the administration at the polling stations.
Meanwhile, around 3.4 million registered voters from Hyderabad, Matiari, Jamshoro, Tando Allahyar, Tando Muhammad Khan and Dadu districts will elect their local government representatives in the second phase of the LG polls scheduled for today (Sunday).
According to details shared by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on January 9, as many as 6,774 candidates were contesting for 1,675 seats of chairman/vice chairman of Union Councils and Union Committees and Members of Wards.
Some 2,551 candidates are contending for 620 seats in Hyderabad, 1,436 for 409 seats in Dadu, 839 for 161 seats in Jamshoro, 781 for 169 seats in Tando Allahyar, 715 for 185 seats in Matiari and 452 for 129 seats in Muhammad Khan.
Among the contestants, 3,525 will fight the elections for the seats of general members of the wards, 1,190 for chairmen and vice chairmen of the UCs of Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (HMC and the district councils, 974 for the seats in the municipal committees and 597 for the seats in the town committees. According to the ECP, 412 candidates had won their seats unopposed.
Among them, 167 belong to Hyderabad, 67 each to Dadu and Tando Muhammad Khan, 38 each to Matiari and Jamshoro and 35 to Tando Allahyar.
The elections will not take place on 17 seats of chairmen and vice chairmen and general members of the wards because of the deaths of the candidates. The ECP will set up 2,674 polling stations having 8,331 polling booths manned by 28,651 polling staff. Among them, 779 polling stations have been tagged as very sensitive and 1,895 as sensitive.
A total of 732 polling stations will be established in Hyderabad, 638 in Dadu, 430 in Jamshoro, 345 in Matiari, 299 in Tando Allahyar and 230 in Tando Muhammad Khan.
Some 1,053,121 people are registered to vote in Hyderabad, 912,472 in Dadu, 450,033 in Jamshoro, 385,662 in Tando Allahyar, 368,589 in Matiari and 281,443 in Tando Muhammad Khan.
The ECP received 11,226 nomination papers last year but around 60 percent of the applicants, 6774, are contesting.
Meanwhile, in Hyderabad district, more than 700 polling stations had been set up which include over 200 very sensitive and 500 sensitive polling stations. Around 8,000 polling staff would perform the duty of conducting the polling at over 2,200 polling booths.
The process of dispatching the polling material started early on Saturday. The Hyderabad police also carried out a flag march in the city to demonstrate their preparedness.
