Polling for by-elections in two National Assembly constituencies of Multan and one of Vehari started peacefully here on Saturday morning.

The polling began at 8.00 am and would continue till 5.00 pm.
Turn up in the morning was low , however, political workers believe it would pick up shortly. Eight votes were cast till 10.00 am in polling station No 112 of NA-149.

Around 5000 police personnel, including 1200 from other districts, have been deputed in Multan to provide security cover to people in NA-148 and NA-149.
Five companies of Rangers are also performing duty, official sources said.
Polling in NA-149, a constituency comprising mostly urban areas of Multan, began with active participation by political workers who had set up camps outside polling stations.

PPP nominee in NA-149 Malik Liaquat Ali Dogar cast his vote in a polling station at MC primary school Gujjar Khadda in the city. The other main contestant in NA-149 is PML-N nominee Sheikh Tariq Rasheed.

Main candidates in NA-148 are PM's son Syed Ali Musa Gilani and PML-N candidate Malik Abdul Ghaffar Dogar.
NA-148 fell vacant due to resignation by Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi while Makhdoom Javed Hashmi had resigned from NA-149.

By-elections in NA-168 were ordered after death of PPP MNA Mohammad Azeem Khan Daultana in a car accident. Main candidates in NA-168 by-polls include Azeem Khan Daultana's sister Natasha Daultana as PPP nominee and and PML-N's Bilal Akbar Bhatti. In NA- 148, 219 presiding officers, 373 assistant presiding officers (APOs) and polling officers (male) and 264 female APOs and polling officers have been assigned duties.
In NA-149, 295 presiding officers and 930 APOs and polling officers have been deputed.

Total 338,000 voters including 152900 female voters are using their right to vote in by-polls in NA-148 while the total number of voters in NA-149 is 402981 including 183352 female voters.

Total 219 polling stations comprising 373 polling booths for men and 264 polling booths for women have been set up in NA-148 while 295 polling stations have been set up in NA-149 comprising 503 polling booths for men and another 427 booths for women.