ISLAMABAD, Dec 27: Councillors will elect, from among themselves, 267 naib nazim of district, tehsil and town councils in all the four provinces, except Ghotki district, on Wednesday through an open ballot or show of hands. Election Commission Secretary Kanwar Mohammad Dilshad told reporters here on Tuesday that election would be held for naib nazim seats in 101 districts, 161 tehsils/talukas, 30 towns and 8 city district councils.

Candidates in 33 district councils and 165 tehsil/taluka/town councils have returned unopposed.

The acting chief election commissioner has appointed 489 returning officers and an equal number of assistant returning officers to conduct the Dec 28 polls.

In all 453 candidates have filed nomination papers for the seats of naib nazim in Punjab, 249 candidates in Sindh, 84 in the NWFP and 178 in Balochistan.

He said, all the chief secretaries had confirmed that in pursuance of provisions of Article 220 of the Constitution, district coordination officers, district police officers and other officers of the provincial governments had been directed to extend full support to returning officers and assistant returning officers.

The reason for not holding elections in Ghotki district was the injunction passed by the Supreme Court, postponing the polls till the delimitation of constituencies by the Sindh government in the district was not completed.

All the four provinces had amended the Local Government Ordinance 2001 by omitting the word ‘secret ballot’ to elect naib nazims from the relevant provision. Under the new amendment the election for the seats of naib nazims would be held through and open ballot or show of hands.

The official result would be announced on the spot by the returning officers.

Meanwhile, in a related development the Supreme Court on Tuesday asked a petitioner to modify his petition challenging the amendment in the Punjab Local Government (Amendment) Ordinance 2005 in which the word ‘secret ballot’ was omitted for the election of naib nazims.