By-elections: Polling in PP-196 under way

At least 178,000 voters registered and 133 polling stations set up in constituency

MULTAN: Polling for by-elections in Multan’s PP-196 constituency is under way, commencing at 8 in the morning to 5 pm,  Express News reported.

During the polls, a scuffle broke out between female supporters of PLM-N and PTI in one of the polling stations.

PTI General Secretary Jahangir Tareen said the Election Commission of Pakistan should take notice in this regard, referring it as a violation of the code of conduct.

As many as 14 candidates are contesting in the by-polls, half of which are independent candidates. The seat became vacant when Chaudhry Abdul Waheed Arain was disqualified by an election tribunal over possession of two CNICs.

Read: Round two: By-election in PP-196 to be held today

At least 178,000 voters were registered and around 133 polling stations were set up in the constituency. As many as 66 polling stations were designated for women.

Over 3,500 police officials and a number of Rangers were deployed in the constituency to avoid an untoward incident during the elections. On May 20, Multan Corps Commander Lt General Ashfaq Nadeem Ahmed reviewed the security arrangements for the by-polls.