- Polling underway for the first phase of local body elections in 14 districts from four divisions of Sindh.
- Over 20,000 candidates are in the field against 6,277 seats
KARACHI: Voting is underway today (Sunday) for the first phase of local government elections in as many as 14 districts from four divisions of Sindh.
The polling kicked-off at 8am and is expected to continue until 5pm without any pause.
The 14 districts of Sindh include Larkana, Kambar-Shahdadkot, Shikarpur, Jacobabad, Kashmore, Sukkur, Ghotki, Khairpur, Naushehro Feroze, Shaheed Benazirabad, Sanghar, Mirpurkhas, Umerkot and Tharparkar.
The next phase of elections will happen on July 28.
At least 21,298 candidates are in the field against 6,277 seats of 101 town committees, 23 municipal committees, 14 district councils, four municipal corporations, eleven town municipal corporations and 887 union councils and union committees.
Candidates stage protest
In Nawabshah, few candidates staged protests over misprinting of election symbols in the ballot papers. .
According to a spokesperson of the Election Commission of Pakistan, Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja is monitoring the polling process in the province.
Meanwhile, monitoring cells have been established in Islamabad and at the office of the Sindh election commissioner to ensure transparent elections, the spokesperson added.
In addition to this, at least 1,985 polling stations have been declared highly sensitive and 3,448 sensitive. Paramilitary Rangers and police have been deployed at 2,980 highly sensitive polling stations across the province.
CCTV cameras have been installed at the most sensitive polling stations.
