Daily Times

Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has finalized all the arrangements to hold Cantonment Elections on Sunday (September 12) while 664,873 voters of five cantonment boards of Rawalpindi district would exercise their right of franchise to elect 273
representatives of local bodies.

Talking to APP, District Returning Officer, Rawalpindi II, Shaheen Ghazal on Saturday said all the arrangements have been finalized in Rawalpindi, Chaklala, Wah, Taxila and Murree Cantonment Boards for the Cantonment local government elections to be held on September 12.

She informed that total number of registered voters in five cantonment boards of Rawalpindi district was 664,873 including 343,894 males and 320,979 females.

She said 82 contesting candidates were in Rawalpindi Cantt, 77 in Chaklala Cantt, 87 in Wah Cantt, 20 in Taxila Cantt and seven in Murree Hills Cantt. Local Government Elections were cancelled in Ward No. 2 of Rawalpindi Cantt due to death of a candidate. The total number of registered voters in Rawalpindi Cantt was 279,529, in Chaklala Cantt 170,100, in Wah Cantt 196,250, in Taxila Cantt 15,976 while 3,018 voters were registered in Murree.

To a question she said 583 polling stations including 285 for males and 276 for females and 22 joint polling stations would be set up to facilitate the voters to exercise their right of franchise on September 12.

As many as 48 sensitive polling stations of the district would be given special security cover and besides the deployment of Rawalpindi district police personnel, while contingents of rangers would also be available to ensure law and order. CCTV cameras were also installed on all sensitive polling stations, she added.

ECP had deployed 583 Presiding Officers, 1604 Assistant Presiding Officers and 1604 Polling Officers in the district. She said a total 1604 polling booths including 822 for males and 782 for females voters would be set up for the elections.

To another question she informed that foolproof security arrangements were also finalized to ensure peaceful, transparent and impartial local government elections. Total 273 candidates including 33 of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, 19 of Pakistan Peoples Party and 36 of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz would contest elections in five cantonment boards. The preliminary results of the Cantonment Board elections would be released by the presiding officers at the polling stations after end of polling and counting of votes on the same day. Polling would continue from 8 am to 5 pm without any break. The authorities concerned had also been directed to ensure compliance with the Code of Conduct issued by ECP for Cantonment Local Bodies elections.

Distribution of election materials for Cantonment Board Peshawar elections has started and the election materials are being handed over to the respective presiding officers from the election cell here. For the smooth conduct of the election on Sunday, special security arrangements have also been made for the distribution of election materials besides holding of the election in a transparent way.