Polling For General Elections 2024 Begins In Rawalpindi Division

RAWALPINDI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Feb, 2024) Polling on Thursday started at 8 AM for 13 National Assembly and 26 Provincial Assembly seats across Rawalpindi division.

The voting will continue till 5 pm without any interval. The administration had finalized all the arrangements in Rawalpindi division, Murree, Rawalpindi, Attock, Jhelum and Chakwal districts for general elections 2024.

According to a police spokesman, foolproof security had been put in place for a free, fair and transparent election.

Rawalpindi Region Police had finalized all the arrangements and more than 16,500 police and other law enforcement agencies personnel are performing security duties while 5,490 polling stations have been established in 13 constituencies of the National Assembly and 26 constituencies of the Provincial Assembly across the region.

In terms of sensitivity, there are 694 polling stations in Category A, 1371 in Category B and 3425 in Category C.

According to Regional Police Officer, Rawalpindi region, Syed Khurram Ali, 2,519 CCTV cameras had been installed across the region to monitor the situation from the central control room.

Syed Khurram Ali further said that the control rooms had also been set up in all districts while a central control room had been set up in the regional office.

The police force in Rawalpindi, Attock, Jhelum and Chakwal along with other law enforcement agencies had also conducted a joint flag march, he added.

The implementation of the code of conduct issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan is being ensured at all costs, Syed Khalid Hamdani said.

A central control room had been established in sports Complex Liaquat Bagh for monitoring the elections of National and Provincial Assemblies.

The focal persons of all the agencies concerned including District Administration, Police, Pakistan Army, and Rescue-1122 are present in the control room.

Separate desks have been created for all the constituencies of Rawalpindi district. A media monitoring cell has also been set up in the control room.

More than 9500 officers of Rawalpindi Police are performing security duty for the general election 2024.

National Assembly constituencies of Rawalpindi district are NA-51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56 and 57.

Tight security arrangements have been made at 580-A, 980-B and 1221-C category polling stations. The city have been divided into 280 clusters for security patrolling.

Pakistan Army and Rangers Quick Response Force are performing patrol duties at important places.

According to Commissioner Rawalpindi Division Liaquat Ali Chatta, the number of registered voters in Rawalpindi Division is over 7.5 million.

5,490 polling stations had been established across the division, for which 3,604 buildings were being used, he informed.

A total of 934 candidates are contesting for 13 National Assembly and 26 Punjab Assembly seats of the division.

Approximately 729,617 voters will use their right to franchise in electing 93 representatives for both national and provincial assemblies.

Several prominent political figures, including Speaker National Assembly and former Prime Minister, Raja Pervez Ashraf, former Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Sheikh Aftab Ahmed, Ghulam Sarwar Khan, Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed, and Hanif Abbasi, are among the seasoned politicians contesting for seats in the assemblies.

A total of 284 candidates from various political parties, including independents, are contesting for the 13 seats in the National Assembly.

For the 26 Constituencies of the Punjab Assembly, 650 candidates are competing to represent these constituents in the assembly.

Over 3.6 million registered voters would use their right to franchise today for 7 National Assembly (NA) and 14 Provincial Assembly (PA) seats of Rawalpindi district.

Over 2,671 Presiding Officers and 13,872 Assistant Presiding Officers are performing their duties, and 6,936 polling officers and 2,671 officials are assisting them.

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