By-election for NA-260 Quetta-cum-Chagai today

Security beefed up for peaceful polling

QUETTA: The by-election for NA-260 Quetta-cum-Chagai constituency will be held on Saturday (today) under strict security arrangements.

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PMAP) are vying for the seat.

Usman Badini from JUI-F has the support of National Party; PML-N’s candidate Bahdur Khan Mengal from BNP has the support of ANP, BNP-Awami, and HDP; while Humair Mohammad Hasani of PPP and Jamal Tarakai of PMAP will contest minus support from other parties.

The National Assembly seat fell vacant after the death of PMAP senior member Abdul Rahim Mandokhel in May this year.



Balochistan Election Commissioner Mohammad Naeem Majeed Jaffar said, “Preparations are complete for by-election for the NA-260 Quetta-cum-Chagai seat.”

On the directives of Chief Election Commissioner, Jaffar said, arrangements for polling are complete in rural Quetta, Chagai and Naushki districts, adding that necessary directives had been issued to the deputy commissioners as well.

Assuring polls are held in a peaceful manner, he said personnel of Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps and Quick Response Force will be deployed at the polling stations.

He said there are 407 polling stations in the area, of which 320 polling stations are highly sensitive, 50 sensitive and 37 normal. Among them, 167 are for males, 131 females, while 108 are combined.



He said 993 polling booths have been set up, of them 571 are for males and 422 females, with 407 presiding officers and 814 assistant presiding officers.

Jaffar said 17 candidates, including nine independent candidates, are contesting the by-election.

He concluded that there are a total of 460,202 voters – 274,367 males and 185,835 females.

Revolutionary measures

Jaffar has gone the extra mile deputing female staff of the Election Commission to dispatch ballot papers of NA-260. For the first time in the history of Balochistan’s Election Commission, female staff will work outside the office.

The provincial election commissioner said motive behind taking this initiative is to encourage female staff to become a source of inspiration for the women of the entire province.

Jaffar said the initiative will silence critics projecting a negative perception of women working in different organisations.

Moreover, he said that recently the Election Commission of Pakistan had taken several steps to encourage women to participate in the election process. And this is one of the initiatives.