Daily Times

LARKANA: Polling for the first phase of the Local Government Elections-2022 in Larkana and Kamber Shahdadkot district ended at 5:00 pm on Sunday evening.

The voting process kicked off at 08:00 am and ended at 05:00 pm. The registered male and female voters in Larkana and Kamber-Shahdadkot districts used their right of vote to elect the Chairmen/Vice Chairmen and other representative’s for various seats of Municipal Corporation, Town Municipal Committees, Union Committees, District Councils, Union Councils, Municipal Committees, and Town Committees.

Polling continued during nine hours fixed period in a completely peaceful atmosphere and no untoward incident was reported at any polling station in any part of both districts. At some polling stations some voters, who reached within the specified time, were allowed to cast their votes, as per rules/laid down procedure.

In the morning polling started at slow pace with nominal numbers of voters, due to hot day, gained increased participation by large number of ladies and gents, besides large number of youths of 18 years of age and remained the same mode of voting till the end of fixed time of polling.

During the visit by this reporter, to some of the Polling stations set up at Government Pilot Higher Secondary School Larkana city, Government Primary School Dari Muhallah Larkana, Health Centre Murad Wahan Muhjallah Larkana, Government Primary School Ghouspur Muhallah Larkana, Government Girls Degree College Larkana, Municipal Higher School, DC High School Larkana, and Deeni Mardassah School, Government High School Shaikh Colony, Government boys high School Naudero, Town Committee office Naudero, Government boys primary school Ratodero, Government High School Kamber, Government Primary School Shahdadkot, Girls high school Mirokhan, a large number registered voters were seen participating in the polls and casting their votes.

Candidates have setup their camps 500 yards away from the Polling stations to issue the voters number slips from the electoral rolls to the registered voters to help cast their cast voters. Various teams of Journalists, who visited various polling stations found appearance of voters at the polling stations, which were busy in exercising their right of franchise in favor of their favorite candidates.

However, the contesting candidates belonging to various political parties and independent candidates also visited the polling stations of their respective areas. The voters who turned-up at the polling stations were being allowed to poll their votes after showing CNICs.

A team of local media-men, which visited various polling stations of Larkana city, Taluka Larkana, Ratodero, Naudero, Bakrani, Dokri talukas, Kamber, Shahdadkot, and Mirokhan talukas and found rush at the polling stations.

The team of media-persons observed 15 to 25 percent turn-out at these polling stations. Counting of votes was started in the presence of the election agents of the candidates, soon after the closure/completion of polling at all the polling stations. Counting is continuing till filing of this report and results are expected sometime late in the night.

The Police deployed at the polling stations, besides Police along with RRF were also deployed at most Sensitive Polling Stations of the Larkana district and Kamber-Shahdadkot district.

The special mobile teams of Police and Rangers, besides the local police administration vigilantly supervised/monitored the polling process to ensure safe, secured, and peaceful elections.

The District Returning Officer(DRO) Larkana Muhammad Hajjan Abbasi,who is also the Regional Election Commissioner Larkana division, Concerned Returning Officers, DIG Police Larkana, Wing Commander Shahbaz Rangers, Deputy Commissioner Larkana, SSP Larkana, Deputy Commissioner Kamber-Shahdadkot and SSP kamber-Shahdadkot also visited various polling stations of Larkana district and Kamber Shahdadkot district and review the arrangements.

Commissioner Larkana Division Ghawar Khan Leghari also visited various polling station of Larkana and reviewed the arrangements of first phase of the local government elections-2022 in Larkana district.