• Over 6,700 policemen deployed for security in five districts of metropolis
• Polling will also be held on 37 seats in 19 other districts of Sindh today

KARACHI: All arrangements have been finalised for polling in 11 union committees of Karachi on Sunday (today), where candidates belonging to the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), along with many others, are contesting the by-election on 26 local government seats.

Officials at the Election Commission of Pakistan said that a large number of polling staff on Saturday were moved to over a hundred polling stations designated for 11 UCs, which fall in Central, Korangi, West, South and Keamari districts of Karachi division.

A total of 6,707 policemen would be deployed for security.

With a total of 246 UCs in seven districts of Karachi, the elections were held in 235 UCs on January 15 after the polling in 11 constituencies were postponed due to deaths of candidates over the past few months.

In district Central, the voting would be held in UC-4 and UC-13 of New Karachi and UC-6 of North Nazimabad.

Similarly, the officials said, polling would also be held in UC-2 of Korangi, UC-3 of Shah Latif Town and UC-8 of Landhi of Korangi district.

“In West district, polling is scheduled for UC-1 and UC-2 in Orangi Town and UC-8 of Mominabad while in districts South and Keamari, there is only one UC each, UC-2 in Bihar Colony and UC-2 in Baldia Town, where the by-elections are due on Sunday,” said an official.

Other parts of Sindh

In other parts of Sindh, 19 districts of four divisions — Hyderabad, Sukkur, Shaheed Benazirabad and Larkana — will witness the local government elections on 37 different seats, where a large number of candidates are contesting polls from different political platforms and as well as independently.

“There are a total of 690,295 registered voters for these by-elections of local bodies across Sindh, who will exercise their right to vote on Sunday,” said as official.

“There are 449 polling stations across the province and none of them is being treated as normal. Some 292 polling stations among them are highly sensitive while the rest are sensitive. At all the highly sensitive polling stations, CCTV cameras have been installed for security reasons.”

The contesting parties, their leaders and candidates are gearing up for mobilising their voters and workers even at the eleventh hour.

The ruling PPP, marginally leading the January 15 polls, is appeared to be confident to win the majority in the by-polls.

“The people of Karachi have posed trust in the PPP in January 15 polls and that tradition will be revived on May 7 when our candidates will emerge as victorious for development, peace and prosperity of this city,” said Sindh Labour Minister and PPP Karachi president Saeed Ghani.

On the other hand, the Jamaat-i-Islami reiterated its claim of wining the people’s trust again in the by-polls. JI Karachi chief Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman also accused the ruling PPP of using the government machinery in all 11 UCs of Karachi to influence the electoral process and illegally help its candidates.

“For instance, the state machinery is used against political opponents of the ruling party and in favour of the PPP in Baldia Town and other areas of the city,” the JI leader said.

“A large number of transfers and postings have been ordered to manipulate the results,” he claimed while addressing a press conference at Idara Noor-i-Haq.

He said that mayorship in the city was dependent upon the results of polls in the 11 union councils and urged the people of Karachi to vote and support the JI in an overwhelming manner as they did on January 15.

The PTI also vowed that by-polls of the local bodies would be a reflection of the support party was enjoying in Karachi which made it the largest single party in 2018 general elections with 14 MNAs and over 20 MPAs.

“We appeal voters of all these 11 UCs to come out of their homes and show their support for a true democracy, bold and honest leadership and save this city from corrupt leaders and urban feudals,” said PTI Karachi president Aftab Siddiqi.

Published in Dawn, May 7th, 2023