KARACHI: Polling time has ended for polls being held in 42 cantonment boards across Pakistan and counting of votes is underway.
According to details, a total of 1,569 candidates stood for elections in 219 wards of 42 cantonment boards. Polling began at 8am and continued until 5pm. Seven candidates have already been elected unopposed so far.
In addition, there is no competition in four wards of Kamra, none in one ward of Rawalpindi and none in one ward of Pano Aqil. Therefore, polls today were held in 206 wards.
Voters inside the polling station will be able to cast their votes still. The gates have been closed for those queued outside. Traditional rivalry between competing parties was witnessed in today’s polling exercise.
PPP minister Saeed Ghani shared a video of PTI minister Ali Haider Zaidi visiting a polling station in Karachi’s Faisal Cantt, upon which the Election Commission of Pakistan took notice and issued orders for Zaidi’s expulsion from the NA-244 constituency.
Zaidi, in response, challenged the ECP to prove he had visited any polling station other than where he had cast his vote, vowing that he will resign as a minister, and moreover as an MNA if it is proven.
Meanwhile, after three days of continuous rains in Lahore, the polling process was delayed at some polling stations due to accumulated rainwater in different areas, while polling was temporarily suspended due to two clashes at a polling station of Ward No 4 in Multan.
Strict security arrangements were made at all the polling booths. The ECP had directed the provincial governments to install cameras at the most sensitive polling stations and said that presiding officers would announce the results at the polling stations after counting ends.
All polling agents and candidates will receive a copy of the result from the Presiding Officer. In today’s polls, 684 independent candidates from across the country are in the fray while 876 candidates from political parties are also contesting.
