LAHORE: All is set for the by-election in NA-133, Lahore, on Sunday (today) and arrangements for the polling have been finalised.
The polling will start at 9am and continue till 5pm without break. On the request of the Election Commission, the provincial home department has already approved the deployment of Rangers along with police during the NA-133 Lahore by-election.
The seat in NA-133 had fallen vacant due to the death of PML-N MNA Pervaiz Malik on October 11.
According to the Punjab election commission, there are 254 polling stations in the constituency. Out of these, 199 polling stations have been declared sensitive. As many as 54 polling stations are mixed for male and female voters. Closed-circuit television cameras will also be installed at the sensitive polling stations. The total number of voters in NA-133 is 440,485.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had allotted election symbols to candidates vying for the NA-133. There are 11 candidates in the run but main contest is expected between Pakistan PML-N’s Shaista Pervez Malik and PPP’s Aslam Gill.
It may be noted that the nomination papers of PTI candidates, Jamshed Iqbal Cheema and Musarrat Iqbal Cheema, in NA-133 Lahore, were rejected by the ECP during a scrutiny process. The PML-N had raised objections that their proposers and seconders were not from the constituency.
Moreover, the law-enforcement agencies (LEAs) have drawn up a security plan for by-poll in NA-133. Six superintendents of police (SPs) as well as 14 deputy superintendents of police (DSPs) will perform their duties under the command of SSP Operations on the elections day.
Over 2,000 police officers and constables will provide security on the day. About 44 SHOs, 52 Dolphin Police personnel and seven teams of the Quick Response Unit will be deployed.
Around 3,000 postal ballot papers have been printed on the directives of the ECP for the by-election in NA-133 but not a single such application was received by the due date i.e. November 19.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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