Polling staff makes final arrangements as Pakistan gears up to vote

Published July 24, 2018
Soldiers stand guard as election officials carry election materials at a distribution centre in Islamabad — AFP
Soldiers stand guard as election officials carry election materials at a distribution centre in Islamabad — AFP

With the 2018 general elections set to commence in a matter of hours, officials of the Election Commission of Pakistan on Tuesday collected polling apparatus from distribution centres across Pakistan.

Ballot boxes and other voting material were among the apparatus handed over to the polling staff in the presence of police and army personnel and the same is being transported to polling stations amid strict security.

With the deadline for electioneering having ended on Monday midnight, political parties have been informing and preparing voters to cast their ballots tomorrow. Party representatives in various constituencies of Lahore were seen distributing their party's slips to voters, DawnNewsTV reported.

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Some female presiding officers in Lahore complained of inadequate arrangements on the part of the ECP, saying they were not provided transport facility on time and had to sit on the curb waiting.

In Karachi, voters lists have been put up at polling stations to guide the voters. The code of conduct for polling day has also been displayed.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, police have arranged surveillance vehicles equipped with live video streaming cameras. The specially prepared surveillance vehicles will have four cameras each installed on them which will be able to detect a human body from a mile's distance.

A total of 105.95 million voters will head to polls across the country on Wednesday, with voting scheduled to begin at 8am. Some 800,000 security personnel have been deployed to provide security on the day.

A press release issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations said the deployment of troops across the country “in respective areas of responsibility to provide mandated assistance to the Election Commission of Pakistan to conduct free, fair and transparent elections” was completed on Monday.

Election officials wait outside a distribution center to collect ballot boxes and voting materials in Karachi — AFP
Election officials wait outside a distribution center to collect ballot boxes and voting materials in Karachi — AFP

Election officials wait outside a distribution center to collect ballot boxes and voting materials in Karachi — AFP
Election officials wait outside a distribution center to collect ballot boxes and voting materials in Karachi — AFP

A soldier walk alongside a presiding officer (C) carrying ballot boxes as they come out from a distribution centre in Rawalpindi — AFP
A soldier walk alongside a presiding officer (C) carrying ballot boxes as they come out from a distribution centre in Rawalpindi — AFP

A soldier carries ballot boxes at a distribution centre in Peshawar — AFP
A soldier carries ballot boxes at a distribution centre in Peshawar — AFP

Soldiers stand guard as election officials carry election materials at a distribution centre in Islamabad — AFP
Soldiers stand guard as election officials carry election materials at a distribution centre in Islamabad — AFP

A soldier stands guard as an election official carries election materials at a distribution centre in Islamabad — AFP
A soldier stands guard as an election official carries election materials at a distribution centre in Islamabad — AFP

Election officials receive ballot boxes and voting materials at a distribution centre in Peshawar — AFP
Election officials receive ballot boxes and voting materials at a distribution centre in Peshawar — AFP

Presiding officers carry ballot boxes as they come out from the voting material distribution centre in Rawalpindi — AFP
Presiding officers carry ballot boxes as they come out from the voting material distribution centre in Rawalpindi — AFP

Election officials transport ballot boxes and voting materials after collecting them at a distribution centre in Islamabad — AFP
Election officials transport ballot boxes and voting materials after collecting them at a distribution centre in Islamabad — AFP

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