KARACHI, May 21: All arrangements have been finalized for the holding of by elections to some vacant local bodies seats on May 22 at zila, taluka and town councils level in Sindh.

Apart from the police and rangers, army has also been called out to maintain peace. According to an official announcement, the Sindh government has made foolproof security arrangements at all polling stations in Karachi and Khairpur districts.

By elections would be held for Naib Zila Nazim, Khairpur; Naib Taluka Nazim, Kingri; Town Nazim, Malir; and women's seats in zila council, Khairpur; Kotdiji Taluka council and zila council Karachi (from Lyari, Gulshan and Landhi towns), according to the Sindh Election Commission.

The polling will start from 8am and will continue till 4pm without any break. By election would be held on non-party basis. A sufficient number of police, rangers and army Jawans is being posted at each polling station to ensure peaceful conduct of by elections and maintenance of law and order, the official announcement said.

In addition, the law-enforcement agencies would also patrol the area where by elections are being conduced to maintain law and order for peaceful conduct of by elections.

The members of union councils, including Nazim and Naib Nazim, will be voters for by elections of these seats. The voters would have to produce original NIC to cast the vote.

In order to ensure free, fair, impartial and transparent elections, the Member Election Commission, Justice Muhammad Sadiq Leghari, has directed that no unconcerned person, minister, advisor, zila Nazim, Naib Zila Nazim, taluka/town Nazim or Naib Nazim, political figure and any government officials, except those on polling duty, can enter the polling station nor can anyone convince the voter to vote or not to vote.

Appropriate action would be taken against the persons/candidate who contravene the provisions of local government ordinance and rules framed thereunder.

Mr. Justice Muhammad Sadiq Leghari will be present in the office situated at Block 44-A, Pakistan Secretariat, Shahrah-i-Iraq, Karachi during polling hours on phone No. 021-9203386.

IGP: IGP Sindh Syed Kamal Shah has directed that all possible security measures be taken for protection of life and property of the people during by elections. He said extraordinary security arrangements should be made for candidates and voters.

He said security measures be adopted keeping in view the experiences witnessed during previous by elections on May 12 when some unhappy incidents occurred so that the same do not recur.

He told the CCPO Karachi and Regional Police Officer Hyderabad to direct all town and district police officers to beef up mobile and motorcycle patrolling and keep an eye on mischief-mongers.

The IGP directed that beat-duty system at the police station level be made more functional and particularly deployment of alert cops during night hours be ensured. He instructed that particularly on election day, police officers would remain mobile in their respective jurisdictions and conduct snap checking in their own supervision.

He said all town and district police officers, as well as area SHOs, will remain present in their respective areas from the start till the end of polling. The IGP further directed that in areas where elections are being held, foolproof arrangements be made for the security of polling staff and voters and ensure enforcement of laws of the election commission. -Agencies