SUKKUR, Oct 1: The chief election commissioner, Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar, has directed deputy election commissioners of Sindh to ensure that the third phase of the Local Government Elections 2005 is held in a fair, free, impartial and transparent manner.

He was holding a meeting with deputy election commissioners of Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Sukkur and Larkana regions on Saturday.

He said no parliamentarian including ministers and advisers would be allowed to visit polling stations.

He directed the DIG Sukkur range to ensure police patrolling and proper security arrangements be made on polling stations and all routes leading to polling stations be looked up properly to avoid any hindrance or hurdle to voters to reach polling stations.

He said Rangers would be available on each polling station to assist the police to maintain law and order in the province.

The deputy election commissioners briefed the chief election commissioner about total number of seats in different categories of union councils.

The deputy election commissioners briefed the chief election commissioners about some of the problems of their concerned and subordinate offices during the meeting. Replying to a question, the CEC said due to non-participation of 13 councillors of Tamachani, no difference would be made in the election.

He said on a complaint Rohri TPO Ali Mohammad Mahar had been removed from the election duties.

He said the election commission was issuing an identity card to candidates on which picture of the candidate would be affixed and without that card no one would be allowed to enter the polling station.

The meeting was attended by Ahmed Ali Halepoto, provincial election commissioner, Sukkur DIG range Syed Zulfiqar Shah and DCO Shafiq Khoso.

ELECTROCUTED: Saghir Ahmed, son of Niaz Ahmed Qureshi, a resident of Qureshi Goth, and an employee of the Hamid Flour Mills was electrocuted while working on a factory machine on Friday afternoon.