As many as 25,741 candidates have submitted nomination papers for 6,259 wards of 32 districts of Balochistan in the first phase of local government elections being held on May 29. According to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), about 19,802 candidates have submitted nomination papers for 5,345 rural wards and 5,939 for urban wards.
Around 4,011,096 registered voters, including 2,282,942 males and 1,728,154 females, will cast their votes for seven municipal corporations, 49 municipal committees and 838 union councils. In all the union councils, 33 percent seats have been allocated for women, 5 percent for farmers and workers, and 5 percent for non-Muslims.
According to the schedule for first phase of LG polls issued by the ECP, the process of submitting nomination papers with the returning officers started from April 15. The ECP had displayed initial lists of candidates. The scrutiny of nomination papers was scheduled to complete on Monday, and the revised lists of candidates will be posted on May 7. The nomination papers can be withdrawn till May 9, while the candidates will be allotted election symbols on May 10.
The Election Commission is finalizing arrangements for holding free, transparent and peaceful elections in the 32 districts. It may be added that LG polls will be in Quetta and Lasbela districts in the second phase. Meanwhile, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Sindh’s President Nisar Ahmed Khuhro said that PPP will actively take part in the Sindh local government elections.
He said the PPP informed that the party would field its candidates on all seats in the upcoming elections.He stated this while chairing a meeting at People’s Secretariat in Karachi, hoping that PPP would emerge victorious in the elections. Nisar Khuhro directed the party workers to make active arrangements for the LG polls.The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), on 13th April, released the schedule for the first phase of local government (LG) elections in Sindh. As per the notification, the first phase will cover 14 districts of Larkana, Sukkur Shaheed Benazirabad and Mirpurkhas divisions with elections schedule on June 26th.
