Polling scheme for 15 PA seats approved

Officials say electoral staff start getting emergency training

RAWALPINDI:

The District Election Commissioner has granted the final approval after finalising the polling scheme for the 15 Punjab Assembly seats in the Rawalpindi district despite the grave uncertainty surrounding the provincial elections on May 14.

On top of that, the polling scheme and voting positions have also been released while 2,909 presiding officers and 8,806 polling officers have begun receiving emergency elections training.

All candidates will be provided the new polling scheme according to which, the total number of votes in Rawalpindi district has increased to 3,520,057 including 1,819,827 male and 1700,230 female votes.

A total of 2,770 polling stations have been constructed for these 15 constituencies across the district with 974 polling stations designated for male voters and 954 for female voters.

Sources said there will be a total of 2,909 presiding officers, 8,806 assistant presiding officers, 8,806 polling officers and 2,770 helpers for the entire district.

As many as 136 polling stations have been set up in Tehsil Murree, 75 in Kotli Sattian, 159 for Kahuta, 166 in Kallar Sayedan, 485 in Gujjar Khan, 1,456 for Rawalpindi City, Cantt and surrounding areas and 293 polling stations for Tehsil Taxila of the Rawalpindi district. Of these, 311 polling stations have been declared sensitive.

Meanwhile, all the 15 returning officers in the district have run out of stationery due to lack of funds following which the fresh work has been practically stopped.

The office of the District Election Commissioner has started the process of cleaning the polling boxes, however, due to the uncertainty surrounding the holding of elections on May 14, the government teachers have started withdrawing their names from the election duty list.

Despite the approval of the polling scheme, the returning officers have not yet started inspection of any polling station building.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 3^rd, 2023.