RAJANPUR: Polling for Rajanpur’s NA-193 constituency is currently underway.
The seat fell vacant after the death of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) member of the National Assembly Sardar Mohammad Jaffar Khan Leghari.
According to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the polling, in which three lakh 79 thousand and 204 voters will exercise their right to vote, began at 8:00am and will continue until 5:00pm without break.
A total of 237 polling stations have been set up in the constituency out of which 169 have been declared “B grade” while 69 polling stations are said to be sensitive.
In the by-election, PML-N’s Ammar Awais Leghari, PTI’s Mohsin Leghari, PPP’s Akhtar Hasan Gorchani and TLP’s Muhammad Mehmood are facing each other.
According to a police spokesman, strict security arrangements have been made and more than 2,500 policemen and officers are performing their duty while soldiers of the Pakistan Army and Rangers are also present to help the police.
Moreover, there is a complete ban on carrying mobile phones inside the polling station.
Earlier this month, the army had declined troops for election duty after the ECP had requested for soldiers for security and judicial officers for conducting voting in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).
However, the General Headquarters (GHQ) agreed to provide troops for Rajanpur’s by-polls.
“Given limited deployment needs, Pakistan Rangers Punjab troops can be provided in 2nd Tier (QRF mode) for the conduct of National Assembly by-election in Rajanpur on February 26,” the General Headquarters (GHQ) had said in a letter addressed to the interior secretary.
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