Phase II: Local govt elections in 12 Punjab districts today

Security plan, election arrangements finalised

LAHORE:

The fate of 27,888 hopefuls for 9,011 local government seats will be decided on Thursday (today) in the second phase of the elections in 12 districts of the province.

There are 14,685,822 registered voters in these districts, including 6,403,093 women. As many as 921 candidates have been elected unopposed on various chairman, vice chairman and general councillor seats.

As many as 112 women and 222 non-Muslims are running for general seats. As many as 3,465 candidates have withdrawn their nominations; 8,660 candidates are running for chairman and vice-chairman and 19,228 candidates for general seats of district councils, municipal corporations, municipal committees and union councils.

Of the 9,011 constituencies, there are 1,102 union council seats. There are 6,612 wards in these union councils. There are 64 municipal committees and 1,297 wards in these committees.

The ECP has set up 11,906 polling stations and 35,200 polling booths and appointed 12 district returning officers to oversee 234 returning officers and 468 assistant returning officers. As many as 11,906 presiding officers, 70,400 assistant presiding officers and 35,200 polling officers will be on duty on election day.

The Home Department secretary has announced that 579 polling stations have been declared most sensitive and more than 8,700 sensitive. He said 25 policemen would be deployed in most sensitive polling station, 13 at sensitive and nine at polling stations categorised normal.

According to directions issued by Inspector General of Police Mushtaq Ahmed Sukhera, 104,204 police officials will be on security duties.

The Election Commission of Pakistan has set up a complaint centre at the office of the provincial election commissioner in Lahore to address concerns on polling day.

The Punjab government has directed the candidates to deposit their licensed weapons at police stations. Failure to do so would result in cancellation of licences.

The government has also banned celebratory rallies and declared Sheikhupura, Hafizabad, Gujranwala and Mianwali sensitive districts.

Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said the government had requested the ECP to deploy Pakistan Army and Rangers for patrolling around polling stations.

He said the government had also requested the ECP to make arrangements for announcement of election results within three hours of closure of voting to dispel concerns about rigging. Meanwhile, Lahore High Court on Wednesday extended permission to media to announce unofficial results.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 19^th, 2015.