ISLAMABAD/KARACHI: The third round of local government elections will be held in 12 districts of Punjab and six of Karachi on Saturday, but the battle for the Sindh capital will be the one more keenly watched across the country than a contest in any other major city.

That is so because, according to political observers, the outcome of the contest has the potential of setting the course of events in the country’s commercial hub and, to some extent, the future of the operation against terrorists, target killers, extortionists, and a wide variety of mafias which have been virtually ruling the city for years.

Almost all the polling stations in the six districts of the city have been declared ‘sensitive’ for security reasons, with only 234 of the 4,141 stations categorised as normal.

According to an official of the Election Commission, 1,791 polling stations in Karachi are being treated as highly sensitive, and 2,116 as sensitive, for the sake of maintaining law and order.

In the 12 districts of Punjab, 9,970 of the 14,012 polling stations have been declared ‘normal’. The official said 964 polling stations in the province were highly sensitive and 3,078 sensitive in the districts of Layyah, Rajanpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzaffargarh, Rawalpindi, Jhang, Khushab, Multan, Sialkot, Narowal, Rahimyar Khan and Bahawalpur.

The polls in 16 union councils of Rawalpindi have been delayed on court orders.

The districts in Sindh are Karachi West, Karachi East, Karachi South, Karachi Central, Korangi and Malir. The highest number of sensitive polling stations is in Karachi West where only 43 of the 937 have been declared ‘normal’, and among the rest 497 are ‘highly sensitive’ and 396 sensitive. There are 247 union committees and councils in the city with 7,083,066 voters — 4.06 million men and 3.01m women.

The ECP has given special powers to Sindh Rangers and army which will form the second and third tiers of security in sensitive polling areas.

Officers in charge of army and Rangers performing security duties were vested on Friday with the powers of first class magistrate. The paramilitary Rangers will have the authority to enter polling stations and take preventive action, including arrest and detention, whenever required. The polling will begin at 7.30 am and continue till 5 pm.

Sindh Police Inspector General Ghulam Hyder Jamali informed Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah in a briefing that his force had planned deployment and patrolling while reserve platoons would be on alert to act wherever required. The plan for extraordinary deployment has been made because of the volatile nature of the areas for a number of reasons.

Police and Rangers started last night patrolling the city which will be covered through cameras installed as part of a mobile surveillance system.

Published in Dawn, December 5th, 2015