Polling underway in Sindh's 14 districts for LG by-elections

• By-polls for LG seats being held in three Karachi districts.
• ECP establishes monitoring control room for elections.
• 1,552 police personnel deployed to ensure security.
  

Polling is underway across 14 districts of Sindh for local government (LG) by-elections on 28 seats. Voting began at 8am and will continue until 4pm.

In Karachi, polling is being held in the East, West and Keamari districts. Elsewhere in the province, voting is taking place in Hyderabad, Dadu, Jamshoro, Matiari, Sukkur, Ghotki, Khairpur, Umarkot, Badin and Thatta, according to a statement from the Election Commission of Sindh.

The ECP spokesperson said a monitoring control room has been set up, while police confirmed that a heavy deployment of personnel has been made in Karachi’s East, West and Keamari districts to ensure security during the polls.

A total of 1,552 police officers and officials will perform security duties, the police added.

As per the electoral body, a total of 243,187 registered voters are eligible to exercise their right — of which 133,038 are males and 110,154 women.

"Implementation of the electoral code of conduct should be ensured at all costs," stressed the ECP Sindh commissioner.

In Karachi's West district, 15 candidates are contesting for one Union Council (UC) chairman seat with Pakistan People Party's (PPP) Shahnila Amir going up against Jamat-e-Islami's (JI) Khurshid Alam.

Independent candidates as well as those fielded by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).

The seat was vacated following PPP's Amir Abulkalam's demise.

A total of five LG seats are up for grabs in Karachi's three districts including one UC chairman, three vice chairman and one ward member.

In Manghopir's UC 10, candidates are contesting for vice chairman, and for ward member seat in Orangi — both of which were vacated after the elected members on these seats passed away.

Polling is also being held for ward member seat in Keamari's TMC Baldia UC 8.

Meanwhile, a public holiday is being observed in the 14 districts where polling is being held.

The authorities have set up 167 polling stations, out of which 34 have been designated sensitive, while 127 have been classified as highly sensitive.

The spokesperson said that 17 polling stations have been set up for men, and as many for women, while 134 will be joint polling stations.