4,995 polling stations to be set up for local government elections in Karachi

karachi: Sindh Chief Secretary Dr Muhammad Sohail Rajput chaired a meeting at the Sindh Secretariat on Thursday to review arrangements for the local government (LG) elections in 16 districts of the Karachi and Hyderabad divisions.

Sindh Election Commissioner Ejaz Anwar Chauhan, Home Secretary Saeed Ahmed Mangnejo, IGP Sindh Ghulam Nabi Memon, Commissioner Karachi Muhammad Iqbal Memon and Additional IG Karachi Javed Alam Odho attended the meeting, in person while the Hyderabad commissioner and various deputy commissioners participated in the meeting through a video link.

The Sindh election commissioner said the local body elections would be held on January 15. He asked the provincial government to make arrangement for transparent elections. The meeting reviewed security and other arrangements for the second phase of the local body elections in the province. Dr Rajput said the elections would be held at 4,995 polling stations in Karachi and 3,971 polling stations in Hyderabad. The CCTV cameras would be installed at 1,675 highly sensitive polling stations in Karachi and 1,015 polling stations in Hyderabad.

The chief secretary directed the Karachi and Hyderabad commissioners to ensure necessary facilities at all the polling stations. “The Sindh government is creating an environment of peace for a transparent, fair and secure general elections in the light of directives and recommendations of the Election Commission of Pakistan.”

The Sindh IGP said that a security plan had been prepared for the local elections, adding that 38,233 policemen would perform security duties in Karachi and 24,000 in Hyderabad.

All the deputy commissioners also gave a briefing on the security and transport plan of their respective districts and the overall situation of the polling stations. The chief secretary directed the school and college education secretaries to ensure water and electricity supply at polling stations established in schools and colleges.