The by-elections for local government would be held in Karachi’s 16 districts on Sunday (today) as the electoral staff sent the electoral materials to the union councils.

A control room/complaint cell has been set up for three days, the Election Commission of Pakistan said in a statement on Saturday.

According to the ECP’s office in Sindh, the materials were delivered to UCs of Saddar Town and UC 6, 12 and 13.

At least 42 polling stations have been declared as highly sensitive and 72 as sensitive – out of the total polling stations – set up for the by-elections.

Candidates would be contesting for seats in UC 3, two vice chairmen, and four wards. It is expected that as many as 206,686 would exercise their right to vote.

Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab is contesting from the Saddar Town seat while Deputy Mayor Salman Abdullah Murad is contesting from Gadap Town UC.

In UC 13 Sadar Town, three candidates would be contesting for the chairman’s seat: PPP’s Murtaza Wahab, Jamaat-e-Islami’s Noorul Salam and TLP’s Sikander Agar.

Moreover, PPP’s Saifullah, Mohammad Zahid of PTI, and PML-N leader Shahid Iqbal would be competing for the chairman seat from Kemari district UC 3 Maripur.

In Malir district UC 7 Gadap, PPP leader Salman Abdhullah Murad, PTI’s Abdul Hafeez Jokhio, JI’s Mohammad Ayub Khaskheli, and TLP’s Saalim Ahmed would contest the chairman’s seat.

PPP’s Saleem Memon, PTI leader Mohibullah, and Maqbool Ahmed of TLP would be contesting for the seat of vice chairman from Malir district UC 7 Gadap.

Four candidates are up for the vice chairman seat in the South district UC 12 Sadar Town. They are PPP’s Hamid Hussain, PTI leader Muhammad Tahir, PML-N’s Gulwaiz Khan, and Syed Obaidullah Shah of Jamaat-e-Islami.

Wahab was elected unopposed from Union Council 8 Ibrahim Hydari. Polling for the by-elections will be held in 209 polling stations in Sindh.