Polling arrangements finalised
PHOTO: AFP/FILE
Polling arrangements have been finalised in the Rawalpindi district for the upcoming elections, encompassing seven national and fourteen provincial seats.
The District Election Commission has established a comprehensive plan for transparent elections, designating 150 polling places as sensitive.
The district, with a total of 36,02,198 registered votes, comprises 18,57,912 male voters and 17,44,336 female voters. A total of 6,936 voting booths and 2,671 polling stations have been set up for the elections.
These include 989 polling stations for men, 964 for women, and 718 joint polling stations. The deployment involves 3,463 polling booths for males and 3,473 for females. The electoral process will be overseen by 1,3872 assistant presiding officers (APOs) and 2,671 presiding officers (POs), along with 2,671 Naib Qasid (peon) and 6,936 polling officers.
Read ECP establishes monitoring, complaint centre to facilitate voters
In NA-51, 681,236 voters including 351,287 male and 329,949 female will cast their votes. A total of 462 polling stations have been designated, including 101 for men, 101 for women, and 201 joint stations. The setup includes 1,431 polling booths, with 719 for males and 712 for females, and involves 462 presiding officers, 2,862 assistant presiding officers, and 1,431 polling officers.
In NA-52 Gujjar Khan, a constituency with 666,216 votes, including 341,744 male votes and 324,473 female votes, a total of 538 polling stations have been arranged. These include 169 for men, 168 for women, and 201 joint polling stations. The polling setup involves 1,302 booths, with 6,34 for men and 668 for women.
The staffing includes 538 presiding officers, 2,604 assistant presiding officers, and 1,302 polling officers.
NA-53 Chakri comprises 401,376 votes, with 207,590 male votes and 193,786 female votes. The constituency has 319 polling stations, including 81 for men, 74 for women, and 164 joint stations.
The setup features 844 polling booths, with 404 for males and 440 for females. The staffing includes 1,688 assistant presiding officers, 844 polling officers, and 319 presiding officers.
NA-54 Taxila, with a total of 466,344 votes, including 241,350 male votes and 224,494 female votes, has 344 polling stations. These comprise 138 for men, 137 for women, and 69 joint stations. The electoral process involves 428 assistant presiding officers, 434 polling officers, and 861 presiding officers.
Read ECP issues guidelines for poll observation, media coverage
NA-55 Cantt Rawalpindi has 431,832 votes, with 221,049 male votes and 210,783 female votes. The constituency boasts 311 polling stations, including 156 for men, 148 for women, and seven joint stations. The setup incorporates 778 polling booths, with 395 for males and 383 for females.
NA-56 comprises 523,683 votes, with 272,459 male votes and 251,274 female votes. The constituency features 371 polling stations, including 188 for men, 181 for women, and two joint stations.
Polling training has commenced for the appointed personnel and will conclude on December 30. Subsequently, District Returning Officer Deputy Commissioner Hasan Waqar Cheema and District Election Commissioner will initiate the monitoring of facilities in the polling station buildings, adhering to standard operating procedures (SOP).
The Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) has disclosed a list of water bill defaulters among candidates who filed their nomination papers for the upcoming general elections. The provided list has been handed over to the returning officers, who are anticipated to take action within the next two days.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 28th, 2023.