KARACHI (Staff Report) – Polling process is underway across Sindh for the elections of mayors, deputy mayors, the chairman and vice chairman of local councils.
According to Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), polling began at 9:00am and will continue till 5:00pm.
The provincial government has taken extraordinary arrangements at all the polling stations to ensure peaceful and transparent polling process. Heavy contingents of police and Rangers have also been deployed.
Elections are being held in the districts of Larkana, Tando Muhammad Khan, Badin, Tharparkar, Khairpur, Sanghar, Dadu and Ghotk. Polling is also underway in all districts of Karachi metropolitan.
Candidates for chairman and vice chairman in 14 districts have already been elected, where Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) won all the seats. The districts included Hyderabad, Sukkur, Matiari, Jamshoro, Sajawal, Tando Allahyar, Mirpur Khas, Umerkot, Shikarpur, Jacobabad, Kashmore, Shaheed Benazirabad, Naushehro Feroze and Qamber Shahdadkot.
MQM’s Nehal Hashmi has also been elected unopposed as chairman of Karachi East district.
Meanwhile, the election of the posts of chairman and vice chairman of district council Thatta has been postponed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) as a case to this effect is underway in the Sindh High COurt (SHC).
The biggest clash of the day is set to take place in Karachi for the election of mayors and deputy mayor of the metropolis.
MQM enjoys simple majority to form its government in the Karachi Municipal Corporation with 214 members out of total 308 members. MQM’s nominated mayor Waseem Akhtar and deputy mayor Arshad Vohra require 155 votes to get elected.
