The stage is set for local government by-elections in Karachi, scheduled for today, with 54 candidates vying for nine vacant seats in the metropolis, including the mayor and deputy mayor of Karachi.
The by-elections are being held in nine union committees across five districts of Karachi, namely Malir, South, Central, East, and Keamari. Among the candidates, Murtaza Wahab, the Karachi Mayor, and his deputy Salman Murad of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) are prominent contestants.
Mayor Wahab, who had initially filed nomination papers for the office of UC chairman in three different seats, returned unopposed from UC-8 after the rejection of the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) contestant’s papers and the withdrawal of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s (PTI) contender. He is currently contesting from his home UC-13, Kehkashan Clifton, facing competition from six other contenders, including independents, JI, and TLP candidates.
Deputy Mayor Salman Murad is also contesting for the chairman’s seat from his native UC-7 (Gadap, Malir) against candidates from JI, TLP, and PTI. Several other candidates from different parties are running for various positions such as vice chairman and general members across different union committees.
The Election Commission of Pakistan has established 121 polling stations in Karachi, with 42 considered highly sensitive and 79 sensitive. The voting process is scheduled to take place from 8 am to 5 pm. The Sindh police have devised a comprehensive security plan for the by-elections, deploying thousands of policemen across the province, with a quick response force on standby to handle any untoward incidents during the polls. Additionally, 209 polling stations have been set up for by-elections in other districts of the province.
