Shikarpur by-polls: Imtiaz Sheikh expected to take back PS-11

Former PML-F lawmaker recently jumped ship to PPP

KARACHI: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) decided on Monday to give the Rangers and presiding officers magisterial powers during the by-elections in PS-11, Shikarpur on October 20, 2016.

The seat fell vacant after Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) lawmaker Imtiaz Shaikh joined the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). The decision to give the Rangers magisterial powers were made in a meeting headed by provincial ECP head Tanveer Zaki on Monday. It was also decided that Rangers will be deployed inside and outside polling stations.

After these powers, the Rangers and presiding officer will be able to take prompt action against violators of the ECP code of conduct.

Shaikh and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl's Nasir Soomro are the main contenders for Thursday's contest. However, Shaikh appears to be in a strong position owing to his 'personal vote bank'.

In the past, the constituency has witnessed tough contests between Shaikh, a bureaucrat-turned-politician and PPP candidates. In the last general election, Shaikh secured 35,010 votes against PPP's Agha Taimor, who bagged 24,249. In the 2008 elections, Taimour was won as Shaikh bagged only 13,765 votes after he ran as an independent.

"It is Shaikh's personal influence which led to his first victory from the constituency in 2002," said local journalist Waheed Phulpoto. In that election, Shaikh had contested from the platform of the Sindh Democratic Alliance.

"In the 2013 general election, Shaikh had defeated the PPP candidate. Now, with the help of the PPP, he can get more votes than before," said a local electoral observer.

Arrangements

The ECP has declared 29 polling stations 'most sensitive' and 76 as 'sensitive'.  "In the 'most sensitive' polling stations, Rangers and police personnel will be deployed while only police will be deputed in the 'sensitive' ones," said the ECP spokesperson, adding that original CNICs will be required for casting the ballot  whereas use of expired but original CNICs will also be permitted.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 18^th, 2016.