Voters head to polls for PS 43, 88 and PB 20 by-polls

• Polling being held under strict security
• Vacant Sindh Assembly seats were occupied by PPP, while the PB-20 seat was occupied by JUI-F
• All the MPAs had lost their lives to coronavirus

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KARACHI:  Voters are heading to the polls to elect their new lawmakers in the by-elections  being held for the vacant Sindh and Balochistan Assembly seats — PS-43 Sanghar III, PS-88 Malir II and PB-20 Pishin III.

All three seats fell vacant last year after the lawmakers elected from the seats passed away due to the coronavirus.

Strict security measures are in place for the polling. 

PB-20 Pishin III

The voters of Pishin III constituency are also casting their votes for the vacant PB-20 seat. The seat fell vacant after Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl’s (JUI-F) Syed Fazal Agha passed away due to COVID-19 in May last year.

At least 27 candidates are vying for the vacant seat in the ongoing by-election.

The constituency has 99,849 registered voters and 113 polling stations have been set up to facilitate those voters. Out of the 113, 45 of those are for male, 37 for female and 31 mixed polling stations.

According to the DC Pishin Qaim Lashari three polling stations have been declared extremely sensitive, 90 sensitive and 20 have been declared normal.

At least, 450 FC and 510 Levies personnel have been deployed in the constituency to ensure nothing untoward happens during the polls. 

Observers believe that the Balochistan Awami Party’s Asmatullah Tareen, PDM’s joint candidate Azizullah Agha and three independent candidates Amardeen Agha, Sajid Noor Khan and Aismatullah are the favourites to win the by-poll. 

PS-88 Malir II

As many as 20 candidates are vying for the Sindh Assembly's PS-88 constituency that fell vacant after the death of Sindh’s Minister for Human Settlement Ghulam Murtaza Baloch. The lawmaker had passed away due to coronavirus in June last year.

The constituency has 145,627 voters with 108 polling stations set up to facilitate the registered voters. Out of the 108, 33 have been declared extremely sensitive and 36 are sensitive.

The constituency has 81,425 male voters and 64,102 female voters.

In the 2018 General Elections, the seat was hotly contested among four parties — PPP, PTI, MQM and Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan.

This time, the PPP has fielded Muhammad Yousuf Baloch as its candidate, PTI has named Jansher Junejoas its candidate, Muttahida Qaumi Movement has named former MPA Sajid Ahmed and Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan has fielded Syed Kashif Ali.

PS-43 Sanghar III

At least seven candidates are vying for the vacant Sindh Assembly seat from Sanghar with many observers expecting a close contest between PPP’s Jam Shabbir Ali and PTI’s Mushtaq Junejo.

The seat had fallen vacant after PPP's Jam Madad Ali passed away due to coronavirus complications in November last year.

The constituency has 157,210 voters with 132 polling stations set up to facilitate them in the electoral process. Out of the 132, 37 have been declared extremely sensitive and 34 are sensitive.

The constituency has 88,034 male votes and 69,176 female votes. The ECP has set up 43 male, 34 female, 64 mixed voting booths during the by-polls.

The government has deployed 1,700 police officers and security personnel for the by-election.