LAHORE, April 16: Over 45,000 polling stations will be set up throughout the Punjab to facilitate voters in the April 30 presidential referendum.

Sources in the Punjab Election Commission told Dawn here on Tuesday that preparations for voting on the referendum day had almost been finalized.

Polling stations would be set up at all public places, such as parks, railway stations, airports, factories, roads and markets to facilitate the voters, they said.

They said the lists of presiding and assistant presiding officers as well as polling officers were being finalized and their appointment orders issued by the returning officers. They said the lists were to be finalized by April 20 after which the polling staff would be imparted training for conducting and supervising polling.

After success in the referendum, President Gen Musharraf will stay in the office till October, 2007.