KARACHI: At least three incidents of “professional incompetence” were found in a single polling station of Karachi’s NA-239 constituency during the bye-election on Sunday, prompting the Election Commission of Pakistan staff members to review its set up.

The polling process for bye-elections in 11 constituencies in Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa started at 8am today. The bye-elections are being held for three seats each of the national and provincial assembly in Faisalabad, Nankana Sahib and Multan in Punjab; three NA seats in Charsadda, Peshawar and Mardan in KP; and two NA seats in Sindh’s Korangi and Malir.

Though the polling process has so far been going smoothly in the country Aaj News found “serious mistakes” at a polling station set up at a school in Karachi’s NA-239 constituency, Shah Faisal Colony area.

Firstly, it was seen that the staff members of the ECP had placed the polling booth near the CCTV camera, installed for security purposes, in a class. Voters had been casting their votes without taking note of the place of the booth.

The staff members later changed the position of the booth after they were informed about the mistake.

The CCTV camera was also not installed at polling booth number four of station number 76 which was declared “sensitive”. It was a women’s polling booth.

Moreover, a woman complained that she could not find her polling booth as the instructions were not clear. She told Aaj News that the series number and polling station number she received via message were not registered at the polling station. Someone’s else photograph and number were present in her place, she said.