The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) holds by-elections today in three Sindh Assembly constituencies – PS-106 (Karachi), PS-117 (Karachi) and PS-22 (Naushahro Feroz) amid strict security.
According to media reports, a meeting of ECP officials held at the provincial election commission office in Karachi discussed the arrangements and decided to deploy Rangers inside and outside sensitive polling stations, besides police.
Total 144 polling stations were declared most sensitive and 119 sensitive in the three constituencies. In Karachi, 84 polling stations have been set up in PS-117; of them 44 have been declared ‘highly sensitive’ and 40 ‘sensitive’. Officials said 100 polling stations had been set up in PS-106; of them 77 have been declared ‘highly sensitive’ and 23 ‘sensitive’. Reports said more than 300 policemen will perform security duties.
Monitoring teams have been formed for each district to supervise the polling process while some Pakistan Election Commission officials would also monitor the polling. The PS-106 seat fell vacant with the resignation of MQM lawmaker Iftikhar Alam who joined Pak Sarzameen Party.
There are 14 candidates in the field, while the main contest is likely among MQM candidate Mehfoozyar Khan, PPP’s Sardar Abdul Samad, PTI’s Nusrat Anwar, and Pasban’s Jawad Sheerazi. The PS-117 seat, too, fell vacant when MQM lawmaker Dr Saghir Ahmad resigned to join the PSP.
There are 10 candidates in the run while the main contest is likely among SM Qamar Abbas Rizvi of the MQM, Javed Maqbool Butt of the PPP, Rafaqat Umar of PTI, Naeem Shah of the JUI-F and Zia-ur-Rahman of Pasban.
The PS-22 seat had fallen vacant due to the unseating of Pakistan People’s Party lawmaker Dr Abdul Sattar Rajpar. There are 98 polling stations – 56 have been declared ‘sensitive’, 23 ‘most sensitive’ and 19 normal – in the Naushahro Feroz constituency. There are 30 candidates in the run but the main contest is likely among Abdul Sattar Rajpar of the PPP, Arif Mustafa Jatoi of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Mohammad Qasim Solangi of the Jamiat-i-Ulema Islam-F, Shah Nawaz Larik of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, Rana Aftab Ahmad of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Riaz Husain Rajpar of PPP-SB and Mohammad Aqib Rajpar of the Sindh United Party.
The election commission has warned violators of the election code of Rs 1,000 fine or imprisonment up to six months or both.
