About 33 million (32,923,550) male and female voters will exercise their right in 54 districts on Thursday in the first phase of local government elections to elect representatives in 3,074 union councils for the next four years.
The election would be held simultaneously in 54 districts of all the provinces wherein 5,985,092 male and 8,349,303 female registered voters in Punjab will elect Nazims/Naib Nazims and councillors for 589 union councils, sources in the Election Commission told Business Recorder here on Wednesday.
They also said that about 4,959,058 male and 3,910,527 female registered voters in Sindh will elect representatives in 589 union councils as 20,823 candidates are contesting for the councils in the first phase.
Similarly, 2,530,828 male and 2,020,383 female registered voters of NWFP will choose their Nazim/Naib Nazim and councillors for 556 union councils from 20,034 contestants, whereas 829,790 male and 738,559 female voters will cast their votes for 275 union councils in Balochistan.
The polling for Phase-I local government elections would be held in 17 districts and 1,654 union councils in Punjab, 11 districts and 589 union councils in Sindh, 12 districts and 556 union councils in NWFP and 14 districts and 275 union councils in Balochistan.
The Election Commission has appointed 17 district returning officers, 247 returning officers and 247 assistant returning officers for Punjab, 15 district returning officers, 112 returning officers and 115 assistant returning officers for Sindh.
Similarly, 12 district returning officers, 112 returning officers and 112 assistant returning officers for Balochistan and 14 district returning officers, 33 returning officers and 48 assistant returning officers for Balochistan have been appointed.
A large number of candidates have also been elected unopposed. Data available with the Election Commission shows 4,136 candidates, including 273 Nazim/Naib Nazims had already been elected unopposed.
These included 273 Nazims/Naib Nazims, 1,466 women peasants/workers, 265 men peasants, 725 Muslims women councillors and 353 candidates on Muslims general seats.
However, 1,160 seats, including 53 Muslim women, 156 women peasants/workers and 950 minority communities are vacant in the Phase-I local government elections.
The 17 districts of Punjab where elections are being held in the Phase-I are Gujranwala city district, Sialkot, Sargodha, Khushab, Multan, Lodhran, Khanewal, Sahiwal, Pakpattan, Vehari, D.G. Khan, Rajanpur, Muzaffargarh, Layyah, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar and Rahimyar Khan, while in Sindh Karachi City district, Thatta, Tando Allah Yar, Ghotki, Naushero Feroze, Jacobabad, Kashmore, Mirpurkhas, Umerkot, Sanghar and Tharparkar.
Similarly, in NWFP Peshawar City district, Nowshera, Charsadda, Mardan, Swabi, Kohat, Karak, Bannu, D.I. Khan, Haripur and Buner and Khuzdar, Mastung, Kharan, Awaran, Pishin, Noshki, Sibi, Ziarat, Bolan, Nasirabad, Jaffarabad, Killa Saifullah, Barkhan and Gwadar in Balochistan.
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