All the arrangements including security and observance of Corona related SOPs have been finalized to hold bye elections in Sindh Assembly’s constituency PS-70 Badin on Thursday May 20, 2021. The polling would start at 9: a.m. and continue without any break to 5: p.m. to elect representatives of the constituency that had fallen vacant due to the death of Bashir Ahmed. The arrangements were reviewed and finalized in a meeting with Provincial Election Commissioner Aijaz Anwer Chouhan in chair while officials of ECP, departments of Education, Revenue, Health, HESCO, Police and Pakistan Rangers attended the meeting. “The ECP will ensure transparency and impartiality of the polls,” Aijaz Anwer Chouhan assured and instructed all the relevant officers to adhere strictly to Corona SOPs by using face masks and sanitizers and maintaining social distancing at every stage of the polling. As many as 1,66,809 voters were registered in the constituency among them 75,222 were female while 91,587 were male, District Returning Officer informed the meeting adding that 123 polling stations consisting of 423 polling booths – 194 for female and 229 for male- were set up for the purpose. He further informed that printing of ballot papers was completed, CCTv cameras were being installed at sensitive polling stations while basic facilities like drinking water, electricity, cleanliness and ramp for physically challenged persons would be ensured as well. A special plan was devised for transportation of election material owing to COVID-19 in which the number of distribution centers was increased while special counters were allocated for females, he said. Presiding officers were directed to facilitate senior citizens, pregnant women, transgender voters and differently able persons, the DRO added. District Monitoring Officer Saen Bukhsh Channar briefed that district returning officers and returning officers were delegated, under Election Act 2017, powers of the first class magistrate to enable them to take immediate action in case of any criminal activity. Use of cell phones by polling staff and agents of candidates would be completely barred while entry of any unauthorized male including the security personnel into women specific polling stations would not be allowed without permission of the presiding officer, he added. Additional Commissioner Hyderabad division, Deputy Commissioner and SSP Badin briefed the meeting about arrangements for bye polls and ensured that Corona SOPs would be followed in letter and spirit.