ISLAMABAD: Polling time concluded on time in by-elections on eight National Assembly (NA) and three seats of Punjab Assembly.
Laziness, mismanagement and disturbance of law order situation reported in a few areas where the by-elections were held.
This By-elections are unique in the 75 years elections history of the country as the PTI chief Imran Khan is contesting on seven out of eight National Assembly (NA) seats.
The polling was started at 8 am continued till 5:00 pm in evening.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) Karachi President Bilal Ghaffar has been physically assaulted in Karachi’s Malir area by unknown men during by-elections at NA-137 Malir.
PTI leader Bilal Ghaffar was visiting different polling stations in Malir NA-237 when unknown miscreants manhandled him in Bakra Piri area while he hasmoved to a nearby hospital for first aid.
In his statement earlier in the day, Bilal Ghaffar condemned the alleged attempt to rig the Malir by-election and said that the Sindh government wants to fix the results.
The polling staff deputed on polling stations of 33 and 34 of NA-137 Malir, Karachi, constituency showing laziness reached late owing to which the polling started late.
The long ques of voters were witnessed before start of the polling stations 33 and 34 in the NA-137. As per the
As per the ECP 1200 people are registered in the mentioned polling stations.On the other hand the polling started at NA-139 Korangi on time .
Mismanagement reported in the Multan NA seat where vice-president PTI Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s daughter from PTI and Ali Mussa Gillani, son of Yousuf Raza Gillani were contesting election against each other as voters complained that their votes have been shifted to other polling stations.
The by-elections were held after ECP completed its preparations for the by-polls in eight national and three provincial constituencies.
The National Assembly constituencies were NA-22 (Mardan-III); NA-24 (Charsadda-II); NA-31 (Peshawar-V); NA-108 (Faisalabad-VIII); NA-118 (Nankana Sahib-II); NA-237 (Malir-II); NA-239, (Korangi), Karachi-I; and NA 157 (Multan-IV).
The provincial constituencies are PP-139 (Sheikhupura-V); PP-209 (Khanewal VII); and PP-241 (Bahawalnagar-V).
Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja had apprised that before the start of the by-elections, he had written a letter to the Chief Secretaries and Inspector Generals of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh provinces to ensure peaceful environment and foolproof security during by-elections.
There were 2,937 polling stations in these 11 constituencies — 806 for men, 713 for women and 1,416 were joint.
The total number of polling booths at the stations are 9,869, of which 5,294 were for men and 4,575 for women.
A total of 747 polling stations have been declared “highly-sensitive” and 694 “sensitive”.
The commission had yesterday handed over election material to the relevant staff for the by-elections for vacant seats.
Earlier on Friday, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) notified the deployment of armed forces and civil armed forces for security duties during upcoming by-polls on the NA and provincial seats.