The polling began for by-elections in 11 Union Councils of Karachi on Sunday where candidates from major political parties are contesting the by-poll on 26 local government seats.

The voting process was scheduled to start at 8am, however, Aaj News correspondents saw that it got late as voters did not turn up early. The polling would continue till 5pm without any interruption. The polling is being held in 26 districts of Sindh. The Election Commission of Pakistan has set up a central monitoring room in Islamabad which would work for three days from May 6 to 8.

For the 56 seats, there are a total 434 candidates in the run while more than six hundred and 90 thousand male and female voters would use their right to franchise to elect their local representatives.

The Sindh government has claimed to have made elaborate security arrangements and appointed over 7,000 police personnel to perform duties around polling stations.

By-elections are being held after they were postponed due to the deaths of candidates over the past few months. It got delayed after political parties expressed reservations over it.

The ECP also shared pictures of citizens making their way to polling stations to exercise their right to vote. “Polling for Sindh by-elections continues, with a large number of voters including women, elderly and differently-abled persons casting their votes in all 24 districts in a hassle-free and peaceful environment,” it said.

Karachi

As many as 223 candidates are contesting the elections in Sindh’s capital. There are 580,000 registered voters, according to the ECP. Moreover, around 302 polling stations have been set up in the city.

More than 7,000 policemen have been deployed in the city for election duty.

11 UCs of Karachi

• UC-4 New Karachi,
• UC-6 North Nazimabad
• UC-13 New Karachi in District Central
• UC-2 Korangi,
• UC-3 Shah Lateef Town
• UC-8 Landhi in District Korangi
• UC-1 Orangi
• UC-2 Orangi
• UC-8 Mominabad in District West
• UC-2 Bihar Colony in District South
• UC-2 Baldia in District Keamari

Central district’s UC-13

• There are 4,500 registered voters in the area where a polling station has been set up at the Comprehensive School
• Around 23,000 are registered voters in the North Nazimabad-Sakhi Hasan area of the UC

The country’s top electoral authority has declared all polling stations in the area as “highly sensitive”, prompting the ECP to have tight security measures. Apart from duty, our correspondent said the security personnel have been patrolling the area.

The MQM has boycotted the election.

Moreover, by-elections were held on 37 different seats in 19 districts of four divisions — Hyderabad, Sukkur, Shaheed Benazirabad and Larkana.

Shamil Ahmed from Karachi, Abdul Rehman Khaskheli from Sanghar, Wasim Khan from Hyderabad, Jamil Mughal from Sukkur, Imran Abbas from Badin, and Hazoor Bux from Kandhkot also contributed to the story

More to follow