The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) issued on Friday the polling scheme for the capital’s three National Assembly seats. As per the scheme, a total of 765,348 registered voters can exercise their right to cast the ballot from the capital. In NA-52, a total of 245 polling stations will be set up with 835 polling booths. The number of registered voters in the constituency is 234,508. The major candidates from this constituency are Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) Afzal Khokhar, the uncle of former PPP minister Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N)’s Tariq Fazal Chaudhry and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI)’s Raja Khurram Nawaz. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, a former state minister, was elected to the National Assembly from Islamabad in the 2013 General Election from NA-49. A total of 325 polling stations will be set up in NA-53, with 1,104 polling booths. The number of registered voters eligible to cast votes here stands at 312,143. This is perhaps one of the most important constituencies in terms of tough electoral battles as PTI Chief Imran Khan and PML-N’s Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, the former prime minister, are contesting from here. Other candidates include PPP’s Syed Sibtul Haider, the brother of former Senate chairman Nayyar Bukhari, PTI’s disgruntled leader Ayesha Gulalai and Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal’s Mian Aslam. The ECP has set up 216 polling stations with 754 polling booths in this constituency where a total of 218,795 registered voters can cast the ballot in NA-54. Here, PML-N’s Anjum Aqeel will take on PTI’s Asad Umar, who was elected from the capital’s NA-48 constituency in the last general election. Former prime minister Raja Imran Ashraf will also contest from here from a PPP ticket as will Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal’s Mian Aslam. The elections are scheduled to be held on July 25, 2018 from 8am to 6pm. Published in Daily Times, June 30th 2018.