QUETTA, Aug 24: Arrangements are in place for the second phase of local body elections to be held in 12 districts of Balochistan, including the provincial capital of Quetta, on Thursday.

Dera Bugti and Qila Abdullah districts were also included in the orignal schedule for the second phase of the elections but there will be no election there on Thursday.

In all the 12 union councils of Dera Bugti district, all candidates — including those for the posts of nazim and naib nazim - have been elected unopposed.

The Provincial Election Commission has decided to hold election in the 25 union councils of Qila Abdullah district on August 28 due to a law and order problem in the area. The district has been declared sensitive and special security arrangements will be made for election there.

Quetta district has 67 union councils but election will be held in 65 union councils as all candidates of the remaining two union councils have elected unopposed.

As many as 25,071 candidates, belonging to panels backed by different political parties, are contesting for 741 seats of councillors, nazims and naib nazims in the 65 union councils.

The Election Commission has established 487 polling stations with 1,865 polling booths for the 65 union councils of Quetta district.

In different parts of Balochistan, the government has declared 400 polling stations sensitive, including 171 polling stations in Quetta district, where the Frontier Corps has been deployed.

In 12 districts of the province, 631 candidates of 45 union councils have already been elected unopposed and election will be held in 249 union councils where 8,464 candidates are contesting for 3,315 seats, including those of nazims and naib nazims.

According to the Election Commission, 222 seats have remained vacant in all the 14 districts of Balochistan, most of them belonging to minority communities. By-election on these seats will be held later.

A high-level meeting, presided over by Chief Secretary K. B. Rind here on Wednesday, finalized security and other arrangements for holding smooth polling.

The chief secretary directed the officials concerned to take steps to ensure free, fair and transparent election. “No negligence would be tolerated,” he warned the officials.

IG Chaudhary Mohammad Yaqoob told a press conference that over 7,000 personnel of police and Frontier Corps had been deployed in Quetta district for ensuring peace and order during polling.

He said that 88 polling station had been declared ‘very sensitive’ in Quetta district where extra personnel of law enforcement agencies had been deployed to meet any situation.

“Nobody would be allowed to disturb law and order during polling,” he warned and said that army troops would remain alert and continue patrolling in and around the city.

He said that four SPs along with heavy contingents of police would take round of polling stations and in case of any violence, would rush to the site for controlling the situation.

“We have installed secret cameras at various places in the provincial capital to keep an eye on the activities of anti-social elements during poling. Strict action would be taken against those who were found involved in creating trouble,” Mr Yaqoob said and added that Quetta had been divided in 23 sectors and nine zones for supervising the election process.

He said that no unconcerned person would be allowed to enter any polling station.