RAWALPINDI: Polling for the Local Bodies (LB) elections was held in a peaceful environment here on Sunday in five Cantonments of Rawalpindi district.

The polling for the elections started at 8 am and continued till 5:00 pm without any break while 273 candidates were in the run for the elections in 36 wards of Rawalpindi, Chaklala, Wah, Taxila and Murree Hills Cantt.

The total number of registered voters in five cantonment boards of Rawalpindi district was 664,873 including 343,894 male and 320,979 female.

District Returning Officer, Rawalpindi II, Shaheen Ghazal informed that 82 candidates were contesting in Rawalpindi Cantt, 77 in Chaklala Cantt, 87 in Wah Cantt, 20 in Taxila Cantt and seven in Murree Hills Cantt.

The total number of registered voters in Rawalpindi Cantt was 279,529, in Chaklala Cantt 170,100, in Wah Cantt 196,250, in Taxila Cantt 15,976 while 3,018 voters were registered in Murree.

She saidthat 583 polling stations including 285 for male and 276 for female and 22 joint polling stations were set up to facilitate the voters to exercise their right of franchise. As many as 48 sensitive polling stations of the district were given special security cover.

ECP had deployed 583 Presiding Officers, 1604 Assistant Presiding Officers and 1604 Polling Officers in the district, she added.

She said that total 1604 polling booths including 822 for male and 782 for female voters were set up for the elections.

Strict security arrangements

Strict security arrangements have been made inside and outside the polling stations for the cantonment board elections across the country while unauthorized persons are not being allowed to enter the polling stations.

The ECP has directed the provincial governments to install cameras at the most sensitive polling stations and said that the presiding officers will announce the results at the polling stations after counting.

According to a police spokesman, Rawalpindi police made all-out efforts to implement Code of Conduct (CoC) issued by Election Commission of Pakistan.

No one was allowed to display weapons and use the loudspeakers, he said adding, besides the deployment at polling stations and polling booths, special police squads and police vehicles of the respective police stations were used for patrolling in Cantt areas to ensure law and order. Elite force was also deployed for election duty, he added.

All the cops deployed for election duties were directed to remain in the field at their duty points particularly from start to end of the polling.

According to Senior Superintendent of Police, Operations, Rawalpindi, as many as 48 sensitive polling stations of the district were given special security cover and Rawalpindi district police utilized all available resources to ensure law and order particularly at all sensitive polling stations.

About 3000 cops including two SSPs, four SPs, nine DSPs, 16 SHOs and other personnel of Rawalpindi district police were deployed in the district.

To a question he informed that foolproof security arrangements were finalized to ensure peaceful, transparent and impartial local government elections.

Police personnel had also been directed to keep an eye on suspicious activities and persons, he added.

Seven candidates have been elected unopposed in the cantonment board elections while Kamra Cantonment Board elections are not being held. Elections have been postponed in one ward each of Rawalpindi and Pannu Aqil.

The ruling PTI has fielded the most candidates — 183.

Similarly, the PML-N has fielded 144, PPP 113, JI 104, the outlawed TLP 83, MQM-P 42, PSP 35, PML-Q 34, and JUI-F 25 candidates.

83 candidates of banned Tehreek-e-Lubaik Pakistan are also contesting, 42 candidates of Muttahida Qaumi Movement, 35 candidates of Pak Sarzamin Party, 34 candidates of PML-Q and 25 candidates of JUI-F.

Cantonment Board Elections: Polling Suspended Due to Death of Candidate

The polling process in Cantonment Boards elections has been suspended due to the death of a candidate during the voting process.

According to the Election Commission of Punjab, the polling process has been canceled due to the death of Shaukat Mahmood, an independent candidate for the general seat of Walton Cantonment, Ward No. 7.

According to Election Commissioner Punjab, by-election will be held later in Ward No. 7 of Walton Cantonment Board.

Cantonment Board Election: 2 Fake Polling Agents Arrested in Karachi's Clifton

Returning Officer Clifton arrested two fake polling agents during the cantonment board election.

Returning Officer Clifton has arrested two fake polling agents from Ward No. 4 while the two fake polling agents were present inside the Ladies polling station without verification documents. Both the persons were handed over to the police.

Cantonment Board Elections: Clashes between Political Parties

Multan: Clashes broke out between political parties during cantonment board elections.

In Cantonment Board Election Ward No. 4 in Multan, PTI and Independent candidate workers came face to face. The workers attacked each other with slaps, punches and shoes.