KARACHI: All arrangements have been finalised for holding by-elections on 28 vacant local government seats in 14 districts of Sindh on Wednesday (today) amid strict security of police and Rangers.

The by-elections are being held in Matiari, Thatta, Ghotki, Sukkur, Khairpur, Mirpurkhas, Umerkot, Dadu, Jamshoro, Hyderabad, Badin and Karachi’s West, East and Keamari districts, while aspirants in over 30 vacant seats in Shaheed Benazirabad, Tando Allahyar, Kamber Shahdadkot, Naushahro Feroze, Tharparkar, Sujawal and Kashmore-Kandhkot districts have already been elected unopposed.

The Sindh government has announced a holiday in the 14 districts, where polling will begin at 8am and continue till 4pm.

Around 160 aspirants belonging to the Pakistan Peoples Party, Jamaat-i-Islami, Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (F) and other political parties as well as independent candidates are contesting the by-polls.

Around 160 aspirants in contention for 28 vacant seats in province

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan, which had boycotted the January 2023 LG elections, is not contesting the by-elections either.

Officials said that the overall security would be managed by the Sindh police, while Rangers would assist them in maintaining law and order.

The by-elections are being held on six seats of UC chairman, seven posts of vice-chairman, two district council member seats and 13 seats for general members.

These posts fell vacant following resignations, disqualifications, or deaths of elected members since the 2023 local bodies elections. Arrangements have been completed as the election material has been delivered to the respective polling stations.

According to statistics issued by the office of the provincial election commissioner Sindh, there are 243,187 registered voters in these constituencies, including 133,038 male and 110,154 female voters.

There are a total of 167 polling stations, of which 127 are categorised as highly sensitive, 34 as sensitive and six as normal.

The office of the provincial election commissioner Sindh said that 1,512 officials and staff, including presiding officers, assistant presiding officers and polling officers, would perform duties during the by-elections. Fourteen district returning officers, 21 returning officers and as many assistant ROs, as well as 14 district monitoring officers and 21 monitoring officers, will monitor the polling staff.

In Karachi, there are 54 aspirants of PPP, JI, PML-N, TLP, JUI-F and other political parties, as well as independent candidates, contesting five vacant seats in the city.

Fifteen candidates are vying for the post of chairman of UC-1 (Gulshan-i-Zia) TMC Orangi in West; and 17, 10 and seven aspirants are contesting for the positions of vice-chairman in UC-8 (Saeedabad) Baldia Town in Keamari district, UC-10 (Lyari Expressway Resettlement Project) TMC Manghopir in West district, and UC-8 (New Sabzi Mandi) TMC Sohrab Goth in East district respectively. Five aspirants are in the run for the general member seat in UC-7 (Shah Waliullah Nagar) TMC Orangi Town in West district.

In Hyderabad, 21 candidates are in the field for six seats, including one each of chairman and vice-chairman, and four ward councillors in the district’s five different UCs.

A total of 24,859 voters will cast their votes, for which 18 polling stations with 62 polling booths have been set up.

PPP candidates on eight ward councillors’ seats have been elected unopposed, while three seats still remain vacant as no candidatures were filed.

By-elections are also being held on the posts of one UC chairman in Ghotki; vice-chairman and general member in Sukkur; chairman and general member in Khairpur; two posts each of vice-chairman and general member in Mirpurkhas and Dadu; chairman in Badin; vice-chairman and general member in Mirpurkhas; vice-chairman in Thatta; member district council and general member in Umerkot; and two posts of general member in Jamshoro.

In the 2023 local government polls, the PPP emerged as a dominant political force in Sindh as it secured a significant majority, particularly in Karachi, Hyderabad and other urban centres. However, independent candidates and other parties, including PTI and JI, also made

notable gains in various rural and semi-urban regions.

Published in Dawn, September 24th, 2025