RAWALPINDI: NA-59, Rawalpindi-III, is the most sensitive constituency in Rawalpindi district having 31 highly sensitive and seven sensitive Polling Stations (PSs).
NA-59 is the extensive constituency consisting of many areas falling in Rawalpindi tehsil including Adhwal, Banda, Bassali, Chakri, Gorakhpur, Sehal, Jarahi, Morgah, Topi, Lakhan-I, Lakhan-II, Kotha Kalan, Dhamial and Dhamman Syedan.
Close contest is expected among Ghulam Sarwar Khan of the PTI, Raja Qamar ul Islam of PML-N and independent candidate Chaudhary Nisar while other candidates who are in the field are Ajmal Sabir Raja, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Nazriati, Chaudhary Muhammad Kamran Ali Khan, PPPP, Safdar Ali Khan, Independent, Tariq Bashir Raja, Independent, Muhammad Ameen Khan, Independent, Malik Muhammad Taj, Tehreek Labbaik Pakistan and Molana Abdul Ghafar Ghufari Toheedi, candidate of Mutthida Majlis-e-Amal Pakistan.
Total registered voters of NA-59 are 357199 including 188374 male and 168825 female while 299 polling stations including 69 male, 68 female and 162 combined have been set up in the constituency. Similarly, the constituency would have 715 polling booths including 372 male and 343 female while the Election Commission of Pakistan have appointed 314 presiding officers, 1502 assistant presiding officers and 751 polling officers for the constituency.
Total 104 male, female and combined Polling Stations (PSs) including 25 in NA-57, Rawalpindi-I, 15 in NA-58, Rawalpindi-II, 20 in NA-62, Rwp-VI and 13 in NA-63, Rwp-VII, set up for general elections 2018 have been declared highly sensitive while 91 sensitive in Rawalpindi district. According to ECP officials, Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had finalized Polling Schemes for seven National Assembly and 15 Provincial Assembly constituencies of Rawalpindi district while 6200 polling booths including 3200 for male and 3000 for female voters will be set up for General Elections-2018.
Total 2576 Polling Stations will be set up in the district where 31,25,669 voters including 16,47,507 male and 14,78,162 female will cast their ballots to elect their representatives. Strict security arrangements will be made for highly sensitive polling stations of the district. Meanwhile, Rawalpindi district police have finalized election security plan.
According to City Police Officer (CPO) Abbas Ahsan, the police are taking all possible measures to maintain law and order during the election campaign and for the polling day. The CPO informed that the ban on display of weapons will be implemented in letter and spirit and no one would be allowed to violate the ban.