All eyes on PML-N as Punjab heads for third phase

Another close contest expected in Rawalpindi as ruling party seeks to complete hat-trick

RAWALPINDI/ LAHORE:

Having swept most of the seats in the first two rounds of the local government elections in Punjab, the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz will be looking to complete its ‘hat-trick’ in the third round of polls on Saturday (today).

Around 18 million people in 12 districts of Punjab will choose their local government representatives in the third and final leg of elections in the province today.



As many as 2,507 seats are up for grabs in Rawalpindi, Multan, Bahawalpur, Sialkot, Narowal, Khushab, Jhang, Rajanpur, Muzaffargarh, Layyah, Dera Ghazi Khan and Rahim Yar Khan during this phase of the LG polls.

Around 5,251 candidates will be competing for slots of chairman and vice chairman in five municipal corporations, 12 district councils and 58 municipal committees. Around 31,848 candidates will be competing for the general councillor seats.

For this purpose, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has set up 14,012 polling stations with 38,718 polling booths at these stations with as many as 125,358 presiding officers, assistant presiding and polling officers expected to manage the polls.

The ECP has also deemed 755 polling stations as ‘most sensitive’, 2,952 as sensitive and only 10,016 polling stations have been declared as normal. To secure these stations, Punjab IG Mushtaq Ahmed Sukhera said that 118,792 policemen will be deployed at the stations and to patrol. Army and paramilitary Rangers have been asked to remain on standby.



Pindi goes to polls today

With the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) pushing the PML-N close during last week’s polls in Islamabad, a tough contest is expected in its twin city of Rawalpindi today where the former has formed a formidable alliance with the Jamaat-e-Islami and Shiekh Rasheed’s Awami Muslim League.



As many as 190 candidates will be competing for the 45 seats on offer in the city. The PML-N has fielded 44 candidates, while the PTI has fielded 33 candidates. The Pakistan Peoples Party and the JI have backed six candidates each.

As District Election Commissioner Nadeem Zubair announced that all arrangements had been finalised, he complained that they had been assigned far fewer security resources than what they had requested.

He said that they had sought 20 companies of the army and 10 of Rangers, but they had only been provided five and two companies from the respective branches of security forces.

Women participation

Saturday’s polls will be held under the shadow of the second round of local government polls in Punjab where women were barred from voting in some areas.



There are as many as 7.8 million registered women voters in the 12 districts that are going to polls today, and it would be interesting to see what the turnout would be like.

Further, as many as 26 women candidates are competing for the post of chairman and vice chairman while 90 are competing for general councillor seats.

Elected unopposed

While most candidates would be scrambling and fretting over the elections, some will rest easy that they have already been elected unopposed.

According to the ECP, around 15 candidates have been elected unopposed to the post of chairman and vice chairman in the district councils and three in the municipal corporations.



Of those competing for the general councillor seats, 520 candidates were elected unopposed.

Minorities

At least three non-Muslims are contesting for chairmen and vice chairmen seats in the 12 districts.

As many as 51 candidates are contesting for general councillor seats.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, December 5^th, 2015.