Elections were postponed earlier due to violent clashes. PHOTO: AFP
The election duel involves the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League - Functional (PML-F), which have already engaged in violent clashes causing the deferral. The LG polls in Sanghar were earlier scheduled to take place in the second phase, along with 14 other districts of Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas and Nawabshah divisions on November 19, 2015.
However, concern about a reaction to the Daraza incident in Khairpur, in which 12 supporters of the PML-F were killed on October 30, 2015, led to the suspension, which the Election Commission of Pakistan announced on November 14.
The elections were later rescheduled for December 17, 2015, but they were postponed again a day before the polling after the killing of four persons in a clash between PPP and PML-F rallies in Sanghar on December 15. The PML-F was blamed for the incident and two of the party's MPAs and a former MPA, among other leaders and workers, were booked in the FIR.
As many as 2,364 candidates submitted nomination forms, including 274 for the seats of chairpersons and vice-chairpersons of the UCs, 288 for members of the district council, 876 for general members, 553 for municipal committee members and 373 for town committee members.
The elections for the Tando Alam Municipal Committee, for which 296 forms were submitted, and two UCs based in Tando Adam taluka will not take place due to litigation in the Sindh High Court.
Some 765 polling stations, including 330 very sensitive and 227 sensitive stations, have been set up, in which over 6,900 policemen, in addition to the Rangers, will be deployed. Around 848,000 people are registered to vote in Sanghar.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 22nd, 2016.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ