SUKKUR, Aug 22: Arrangements to hold the second phase of local body election on Aug 25 have been completed and strict security measures have been adopted at all sensitive polling stations of Sukkur, Shikarpur, Khairpur and other parts of Sindh.

The campaign for the second phase of the polls in districts would come to an end at midnight of August 23 and 24.

In Sukkur, voting will be held in 45 union councils of five talukas of the district including Rohri, Pano Akil, Salehpat, Sukkur and New Sukkur, in which 464 polling stations have been established, of which 64 polling stations have been declared sensitive.

The elections in union council Deha and Tamachani will not be held as a case is pending with the High Court of Sindh against it.

In Shikarpur, elections will be held in 15 union councils in four talukas including, Shikarpur, Garhi Yasin, Lakhi Ghulam Shah and Khanpur.

In all 389 polling stations have been established and 64 of them have been declared sensitive.

In Khairpur, voting will be held in eight talukas in which over 600 polling stations have been established and 193 stations have been declared sensitive.

The Election Commission in a directive have asked local election authorities to intensify patrolling of Rangers and Army at all sensitive polling stations and the entire upper Sindh.

In this connection, all contesting candidates have intensified their campaign and several corner meetings were being held.

Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim is touring Sukkur and other districts in this connection and issuing directives to the administration and police to make sure that elections are held in a free, fair and transparent manner.

The chief minister also met contesting candidates of the Muttahida, PML (Q) and PML (F) and discussed with them matters pertaining to the local body elections while several meetings were held in the office of the DCO Sukkur, during which strategy for dispatching election material to various polling stations was formed.

On the other hand, Mahars of Ghotki have encamped in Pano Akil in connection with the second phase of the local body elections while MNA Syed Khursheed Shah and Maulana Abdul Samad of JUI were touring the area frequently.

According to political sources, neck-and-neck fight is expected between the Awam Dost Panel and Khushaal Pakistan Panel in 12 union councils of Pano Akil.

PPP MNA Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah along with PPP central leader Islamuddin Shaikh and others visited union councils Junaas, Sangi, Hingoro, Nauraja, Sadhuja, Nadpur and city-I and addressed corner meetings.

In Shikarpur district tough contest is expected between the Khushaal Pakistan Panel and ADP at 50 union councils.

In the meantime, on Sunday night, a big rally was taken out by the PPP leaders and workers in connection with the election campaign of the Awam Dost Panel candidates in Sukkur.

The rally, led by MNA Khursheed Ahmed Shah, former federal minister Islamuddin Shaikh, Iqbal Dawood Memon and others started from Bin Qasim Park and parading through the main thoroughfares, reached at Old Sukkur, where it converted into a huge corner meeting.

Speaking on the occasion, Khursheed Shah warned of dire consequences if the government rigged the second phase of local government elections.

He was confident that all candidates of ADP would emerge victorious with the support of the people and KPP candidates would be defeated.