RAWALPINDI: All is set for the local government elections in the cantonment boards of Rawalpindi and Chaklala on Sunday.

The main contest will be between the ruling PTI and the opposition PML-N.

Water shortage, lack of space for graveyards and shortage of funds for development were the main issues highlighted by the candidates during the month-long election campaign.

There are 10 seats each for the Rawalpindi and Chaklala cantonment boards. However, election in Ward-2 of the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) has been canceled due to the death of a candidate.

Returning Officer Mohammad Omar Farooq Ali Malik, who is also the cantonment executive officer of the RCB, issued a cancellation order for the election in Ward-2 after the death of a candidate, Samina Kousar, on August 22.

In the remaining 19 wards, 162 candidates are in the field. There are 77 candidates in the Chaklala Cantonment Board (CCB) - 10 fielded by the PML-N, nine by the PTI, nine by the banned Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan, five by the PPP, two by JUI-F, five by JI and two by the PML-Q.

In nine wards of the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board, there are 85 candidates - nine of the PML-N, eight of PTI, seven belonging to the PPP, six from JI, two from PML-Q and nine from the TLP. A tough contest is expected between PTI and PML-N candidates in many wards of both the cantonments.

Political observers said some independents will give surprise to the contestants.

The voting process is to start at 8am and continue uninterrupted until 5pm.

Unofficial results will be announced the same day from each polling station while the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will issue a notification of the winning candidates on Sept 17. Four returning officers will be supervising each of the five wards.

As many as 583 polling stations, including 285 for males, 276 for females and 22 joint polling stations have been set up.

Security arrangements

Though the ruling PTI had demanded deployment of the army at the polling stations, it was rejected by the ECP. However, Rangers have been deployed to supervise the elections and maintain law and order.

Three companies of Rangers have been called to the area on the polling day.

According to a Rawalpindi Cantonment Board official, 38 polling stations have been declared highly sensitive and 77 sensitive. Rangers will be deployed in all the polling stations declared highly sensitive and sensitive.

Over 3,000 police officials will also be deployed on the security duty.

According to a police spokesman, the police have made foolproof security arrangements to ensure the implementation of the code of conduct issued by the ECP. “No one would be allowed to display weapons and use loudspeakers,” he said. Besides deployment at the polling stations and polling booths, special police squads and police vehicles would be used for patrolling.

Elite Force has also been deployed on the election duty.

The spokesman said the police had finalised all security arrangements in the Rawalpindi, Chaklala, Wah, Taxila and Murree cantonments.

Meanwhile, a district administration spokesman said besides finalising all the arrangements, additional security for the polling stations had also been ensured.

Regional Transport Authority, on the directives of the DC Rawalpindi, has arranged vehicles to facilitate the election staff, he added.

Published in Dawn, September 12th, 2021