KARACHI: Clouds of uncertainty loomed over the second phase of the local government (LG) elections in Karachi as an otherwise dull electioneering ended on the night between Friday and Saturday with political parties ostensibly failing to create an environment for voting in the city.

Although the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) rejected the request of the Pakistan Peoples Party-led provincial government to postpone the LG polls in Karachi and Hyderabad as it had withdrawn the notification regarding delimitation on the demand of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan, political parties could not conduct an effective election campaign on Friday, the last day of the poll drive, due to uncertainty, leaving the voters sceptical largely as there were hardly any corner meetings held or door-to-door campaigns run in almost every part of the metropolis to warm up them.

Reports of “serious” security concerns at a meeting of the police and intelligence outfits held in Karachi in the afternoon added to the uncertainty over the holding of the polls as security agencies had reported about the presence of a strong network of the banned Balochistan Liberation Army and Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan in the city.

Informed sources told Dawn that the provincial government considering approaching the high court as a last bid to get the polls deferred until the security situation came under control.

Over eight million voters in city

Meanwhile, the provincial authorities and ECP had finalised all necessary arrangements for the elections scheduled for Sunday.

ECP finalises arrangements at 4,990 polling stations across Karachi

According to the ECP, as many as 4,990 polling stations have been established in seven districts of Karachi Division for 8,045,475 voters to exercise their right to vote.

The polling staff, it said, would be handed over the election materials on Saturday after the election campaign ended.

In some localities, candidates visited their respective constituencies and held door-to-door contacts with voters. However, social media platforms were mainly used for the purpose.

Election camps set up near the polling stations were also used for the election drive.

In all the seven districts of Karachi, the election materials have been delivered to the offices of the deputy commissioners for further distribution among the polls staff on Saturday, Jan 14.

The election staff will move the ballot papers and other election materials to the polling stations along with the security personnel.

The ECP has set up 4,990 polling stations in Karachi, of which 3,415 are declared sensitive and 1,496 highly sensitive while 79 normal.

Seven candidates have been elected unopposed from various union committees (UCs) on the panel of chairman and vice chairman and general member from Karachi.

Elections will not be held on 22 seats of general members, chairman and vice-chairman of Karachi Division.

There were nine candidates of chairman and vice-chairman of various UCs and 13 candidates of general members who died.

10,629 candidates in the run

As many as 10,629 candidates will be contesting on the seats of UC chairman and vice-chairman, and ward councillors.

The city has been divided in 25 towns, 246 UCs and 984 wards. Every voter will cast vote for two seats of UC chairman and vice-chairman and one seat of ward councillor.

The elections would be held on 472 seats of UC chairman and vice-chairman of 236 UCs as polls in 14 ones were cancelled due to death of candidates in these local government constituencies. As many as 4,190 candidates are in the run for the seats of chairman and vice-chairman, while 6,439 candidates will contest on 965 seats of ward councillors.

Over 18,600 polling booths have been established in 4,990 polling stations where 47 staffers, including 5,000 presiding officers, 18,629 assistant presiding officers and 5,000 naib qasids (messengers), would be deployed on the polling day.

It may be recalled that in the wee hours of Friday, the provincial government announced that the long-awaited LG elections would not be held in Karachi and Hyderabad divisions, and in Dadu.

Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon told a media briefing that the polls in Tando Allahyar, Tando Muhammad Khan, Badin, Thatta, Sujawal, Matiari and Jamshoro would go ahead as planned on Jan 15.

Mr Memon also announced that the notification to hold the polls on the basis of the existing delimitation had also been withdrawn on the demand of their ‘coalition partner’, the MQM-P.

The MQM-P had rejected the delimitation of the local government constituencies and, terming them “unjustified”, demanded the withdrawal of the notification issued in this regard.

On Friday morning, the ECP reviewed the request sent by the Sindh government for the postponement of LG elections in Karachi, Hyderabad and Dadu, but unanimously rejected it and reiterated that the polls would go ahead as planned.

Published in Dawn, January 14th, 2023