Daily Times

LAHORE: The provincial capital is all set for General Elections 2018 as the citizens are ready for using the power of vote.

Lahore will be the country’s most important battlefield for elections today (Wednesday). More than 5 million people are expected to cast their vote.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has completed all its arrangements and all the polling staff has been provided with the all polling material, the security officials including police, rangers and army had already been deployed on their positions.

However, according to ECP’s statistics, 5,398,623 including 3,012,260 men and 2,386,363 women registered in 14 National Assembly constituencies will be casting their vote. For this purpose ECP had set up 3,887 polling stations and 11,552 polling booths across the city.

The ECP had already declared 711 polling stations sensitive and also announced to install around 3,000 closed circuit television cameras across the city. The polling for elections will start at 8am and will continue until 6pm without any break.

For elections, several political parties are contesting but the tough and close competition is expected among Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN). Both parties had nominated their best candidates in all 14 constituencies of the provincial capital.

A tough competition is expected among famous leaders of both parties including PMLN’s Maryam Nawaz who was contesting elections as independent candidate against PTI’s Dr Yasmeen Rashid who had given tough time to PMLN in 2013 and 2017’s by elections. Similarly in NA-124, PMLN’s Hamza Shehbaz who is son of former chief minister Punjab and currently candidate for prime minister from PMLN Shehbaz Sharif is pitted against PTI’s Nauman Qaiser.

Another tough competition is expected at NA-127 as PMLN’s Parvez Malik will take on PTI’s Jamshed Iqbal Cheema. In NA-128 PMLN’s Sheikh Rohale Asghar will be contesting against Ejaz Ahmad Dayal of PTI. Another interesting competition will be held at NA-129 between PMLN’s Sardar Ayaz Sadiq against PTI’s Aleem Khan.

At NA-130, PTI’s Shafqat Mahmood will take on PMLN’s Khawaja Ahmad Hassaan. Another important competition is expected at NA-131 where PTI Chairman Imran Khan is contesting against PMLN’s former minister Khawaja Saad Rafique. Shehbaz Sharif will take on PTI’s Mansha Sandhu at NA-132.

The city’s streets, roads and number of intersections have already celebrated with party flags, banners and posters.

According to ECP’s security plan, more than 35,000 police, Army, rangers, Elite and Dolphin police officials will be deployed in and outside the polling stations. These also include 25 superintendents and 5,000 volunteers.

Published in Daily Times, July 25^th 2018.