LAHORE, Pakistan: First Phase of Local Body Elections will be held in 12 districts of Punjab province on Saturday under strict security of Pakistan Army and Rangers.
According to the Election Commission of Pakistan, as many as 4500 candidates will appear for Chairman/Vice chairman of District Councils of Faisalabad, Gujrat, Chakwal, Bhakkar, Nankana Sahib, Kasur, Pakpattan, Okara, Lodhran, Vehari and Bahawalnagar.
A total of 19213 will contest for General Members of District Council’s Union Councils, whereas 5531 candidates will be in the field for General Members of Municipal Committee’s Wards.
More than 20 million registered voters of 12 districts Lahore 4,305,880, Faisalabad 3,944,545, Gujrat 1,726,760, Kasuar 1,614,042, Okara 1,507,246, Vehari 1,430,692, Bahawalnagar 1,387,865, Chakwal 1,009,947, Pakpattan 898,144, Lodhran 817,445, Bhakar 765,171 and Nankana Sahib 676,587 will use their right to vote.
In the provincial capital, 1149 candidates of Chairman and Vice chairman (Joint) and 5902 for General Member will contest Local Body Elections of 274 Union Councils of Metropolitan.
A total of 1343 candidates of Chairman and Vice Chairman had submitted their nomination forms in which 190 withdrawed ,while four have been elected unopposed from 274 Union Councils.
District Returning Officers (DROs), Returning Officers (ROs) and Assistant Returning Officers (AROs) have already been appointed by the ECP for this purpose, and they have been asked to fulfil their duties in accordance with the provision of law and rules and maintain neutrality and impartiality.
As many as two army battalions will be patrolling in the metropolis on election day, whereas no political party would be allowed to establish office in front of any other party’s office.
The ECP has also banned broadcasting of unofficial and inconclusive results of local bodies elections on Media.
According to the Punjab Local Government (Amendment) Ordinance 2015, a union council shall have a directly elected chairman and a vice-chairman as joint candidates, and six councillors on general seats- one each from a ward. These members can contest polls either on party tickets or as independent candidates.
The electorates will only vote for the panel of a chairman and one general councillor from their respective ward. Once elected, the general members will elect two female members, one worker, a youth and a non-Muslim member for their wards.
Polling for the second phase has been arranged on November 19 this year in Khanewal, Sahiwal, Toba Tek Singh, Chiniot, Sargodha, Mianwali, Sheikhupura, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, M.B.Din, Attock and Jhelum districts while third phase will commence on December 5 in Lyyah, Dera Ghazi Khan, Bhawalpur, Rajan Pur, Rahim yar Khan, Multan, Rawalpindi, Muzaffar Garh, Narowal,Jhang and Khoshab.
Source: APP
