All polling stations for Nov 5 by-polls declared ‘sensitive’

All 121 polling stations in Karachi set for the local government by-elections on November 5 have been officially designated as sensitive, with some being categorised as highly sensitive.

A security threat assessment for these by-elections in Karachi has determined that none of the polling stations can be classified as normal. In total, there are 209 polling stations in Sindh.

Out of the 121 polling stations in Karachi, seven are designated for both men and women, and 107 are joint polling stations.

Among these, 42 have been marked as highly sensitive, while 79 are considered sensitive due to the potential for clashes among supporters of rival political parties. These polling stations will collectively have 482 polling booths.

The by-elections in Karachi will involve 121 presiding officers, 482 assistant presiding officers, 482 polling officials, and 121 naib qasid (office attendants).

Also read: Sindh faces shortage of polling staff

The by-elections will cover various positions, including chairman, vice chairman, and general members in different union committees across multiple districts of Karachi. Several positions, such as the chairman of UC 3 in the Mauripur Town of the Keamari district and the vice chairman of UC 6 in Saddar Town of South district, will be contested.

A total of 206,686 registered voters are eligible to participate in these union council by-elections, comprising 94,415 female and 112,271 male voters.

The by-elections encompass 131 seats throughout Sindh, with ten of them dedicated to general members, vice-chairmen, and chairmen in Karachi.

Among the 131 candidates vying for these seats, 54 are from Karachi. Additionally, 54 seats in various categories have already been won uncontested by candidates, including one in Karachi, Sindh.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 28^th, 2023.