ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has fulfilled a key prerequisite for the upcoming general election by finalising the ‘polling scheme’, which deals with issues like the number of polling stations to be set up across the country and the polling staff to be deployed for the elections.

Sources told Dawn on Saturday that as per the polling scheme approved, 40,818 polling stations with 128,577 polling booths would be set up in Punjab, as compared to 36,598 poling stations and 95,735 polling booths set up for the 2008 elections.

The number of presiding officers, assistant presiding officers and polling officers for the province will be 40,818, 257,160 and 128,580, respectively.

In Sindh, the number of polling stations will be 15,586 against 13,406 in 2008 and there will be 48,850 polling booths as compared to 39,329 in the previous elections.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, there will be 12,001 polling stations as compared to 7,933 in the 2008 elections. The number of presiding officers, assistant presiding officers and polling officers will be 12,001, 64,425, and 34,220 respectively.

In Balochistan, there will be 3,783 polling stations and 8,553 polling booths as compared to 3,457 stations and 8,332 booths for the 2008 elections.

Meanwhile, the provincial election commissions (PECs) have called for beefing up security measures for this year’s elections because of the indifferent law and order situation in all the provinces.