–Condition of polling stations in Sindh the worst, reports say
As many as 5,000 polling stations across the country lack basic facilities and pose a serious challenge ahead of the 2018 general elections, media reports said.
Sources within Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) were quoted by the media for admitting that there was a total of 4,945 polling stations that the required facilities like the provision of water, electricity, and boundary walls.
The ECP officials said that despite repetitive directives issued by the commission, the provincial governments didn’t ensure the facilities in the polling stations. The reports said several hundred sensitive polling stations were devoid of boundary walls.
SINDH, THE WORST:
The condition of polling stations in Sindh was reported to be the worst. 3,688 out of 17,747 polling stations were reportedly devoid of the basic facilities.
According to reports, Punjab has 107 polling stations which do not meet the required standards of having fundamental facilities. In the federal capital Islamabad, four polling stations required an immediate attention of the authorities.
In Balochistan, 576 out of 4,420 polling stations and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s 570 of the total 12,634 polling stations lack facilities such as availability of water, boundary walls and the provision of electricity.
11,855 candidates are said to be running for the 849 general seats of National Assembly and four provincial assemblies. This includes a total of 3,459 candidates — 1,623 from Punjab, 824 from Sindh, 725 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 287 from Balochistan. They will contest for the 272 general seats of the National Assembly.
