KARACHI:
Political parties contesting in the by-poll in Malir's PS-88 constituency will end their election campaigns at midnight today (Sunday), two days prior to day of voting on February 16.
As many as 20 candidates from different parties will be competing for the seat, which was vacated after the demise of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) MPA Ghulam Murtaza Baloch.
The contesting candidates include PPP's Muhammad Yousuf Baloch, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's Jansher Junejo, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan's Sajid Ahmed and Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan's Syed Kashif Ali. Jameela Bano, Rana Khursheed, Rehman Dino Mahesar, Rehan Mansoor, Zainul Abideen, Syed Abul Hassan, Syed Ata Muhammad, Shezan, Asim Iqbal, Abdul Waheed Baloch, Mansoor Khan, Manzoor Hussain Wassan, Nazim Jamal Khan Afridi, Yasir Ali Junejo, Abu Bakr Memon and Arshad Ali are contesting in the by-poll as idependent candidates.
According to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), 148,465 individuals have been registered to cast votes in the by-poll. Of them, 83,315 are males and 65,150 are females.
Ahead of the day of voting, 106 polling stations, comprising 410 polling booths, have been set up in the constituency.
Besides, Rangers and police personnel have been deployed in the area as part of security arrangements.
Earlier on Friday, the Singh government announced a public holiday for the residents of Malir and Sanghar constituencies on February 16 in view of the by-poll to be held on the day.
The notification issued in this regard states that in PS-43 of Sanghar and PS-88 of Malir, Tuesday, February 16 will be a public holiday.
Prior to the announcement, the court had issued a notice to the ECP in a plea calling for a public in Malir's PS-88 constituency on February 16.
The counsel for the petitioner maintained has before the court that the ECP was obliged to declare February 16 a public holiday in the constituency. He had said many residents from the constituency had to go out of town for work daily, and if a public holiday was not declared on the day, a large fraction of voters would not be able to cast votes in the by-poll. The counsel has further informed the court that a letter in that regard had been written to the ECP, but no "satisfactory" reply was received.
Previous trends show that the PPP has greater influence in the constituency in comparison to other parties, with PTI being predicted as the second favourite.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 14th, 2021.
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