Bye-elections Held Amid Tight Security Arrangements; 4000 Cops Deployed In Rawalpindi

RAWALPINDI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th Oct, 2018 ) :Bye-elections held here on Sunday amid tight security arrangements in NA-60, Rawalpindi-IV and NA-63, Rawalpindi-VII, two Constituencies of the district while over 4000 cops were deployed to maintain law and order.

Total 13 candidates were in the run for October 14 by-elections in two constituencies of Rawalpindi District.

Army Jawans and police personnel had taken full control of all polling stations on Saturday to hold fair and free elections.

Around 76 polling stations in Rawalpindi were declared sensitive where extra security arrangements were made.

There were 727,902 registered voters of NA-60, Rawalpindi-IV and NA-63, Rawalpindi-VII.

Total eight candidates were in the run in NA-60, Rawalpindi-IV, the constituency of Rawalpindi city which had total 356,935 registered voters including 189,464 male and 167,471 female.

Total 690 polling booths including 363 for male and 327 for female were set up in the constituency where 726 Polling Officers, 1450 Assistant Presiding Officers and 347 Presiding Officers were deployed to ensure free and fair elections.

The bye-elections were held on the National and Provincial Assembly seats which became vacant due to death of contesting/returned candidates, resignation and postponement of the elections.

There were 370,967 registered voters in NA-63 including 195,073 male and 175,894 female while 317 polling stations including 134 male, 126 female and 57 combined were set up.

Total 711 polling booths including 372 for male and 339 for female were set up in the constituency where 747 Polling Officers, 1493 Assistant Presiding Officers and 333 Presiding Officers were deployed to ensure free and fair elections in NA-63.

Five candidates were in the run for NA-63 elections.

Rawalpindi district police had devised a comprehensive security plan for conducting bye-elections in fair and transparent manner.

According to a police spokesman, different areas were divided into three divisions, seven sub-divisions, 11 sectors and 45 sub-sectors while 24 sections of Elite Force were also deployed to avoid any untoward incident.

The polling stations of Rawalpindi district were divided into three categories including 76 of A, 125 of B and 445 of C.

Special security arrangements were made for A category polling stations.

Overall supervision were conducted by SSP Operation Ali Raza.

Total 38 candidates were in the run for the bye-elections for five National Assembly (NA) seats including NA-56 Attock-II, NA-60 Rawalpindi-IV, NA-63 Rawalpindi-VII, NA-65 Chakwal-II, NA-53, Islamabad-II and two Punjab Provincial Assembly (PA) seats PP-3, Attock-III and PP-27 Jhelum-III.

The Federal capital was included with the Rawalpindi division which comprises Rawalpindi, Chakwal, Attock and Jhelum districts by the Election Commission of Pakistan for holding of the bye-elections.

In order to ensure the security and smooth flow of traffic in the city, the City traffic police (CTP) had also issued a comprehensive traffic plan for the election day.

There were complete ban on parking of any vehicles in the premises of polling stations and theirsurroundings.