2,500 polling stations in Sindh declared sensitive

KARACHI: As many as 2,500 polling stations were declared as highly sensitive in Sindh for the second and third phases of the local government (LG) elections.
The opposition parties in Sindh demanded of the chief election commissioner (CEC) to deploy the army at polling stations during the upcoming second and third phases of the local government elections. Voicing concern over not giving time to them by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) secretary, they appealed to him to have a meeting with the opposition parties in Karachi within the next two to three days.
They warned of announcing a mass protest if their grievances were not addressed. This was stated by PML-N Sindh President This was stated by PML-N Sindh President Ismail Rahu, PML-F leader Muzaffar Shah, former Sindh chief minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim, PML-N leader Shah Muhammad Shah, Awami Ittehad leader Karim Jatoi, Sindh United Party’s Ghulam Shah, Shirazi Group’s Ismail Shah Shirazi, PML-N Senator Rahila Magsi and others while talking to media outside the ECP office here on Monday.
They met provincial election commissioner Tanveer Zaki after their scheduled meeting with ECP Secretary Babar Fateh Muhammad was cancelled as the secretary had to leave for Hyderabad to review election arrangements there.
During the meeting with provincial election commissioner, the leaders of opposition parties demanded deployment of army inside polling stations and holding of LG elections under the 2013 scheme and instead of a new polling scheme. They also asked for hiring employees of federal institutions instead of provincial departments as polling staff.
Talking to media, PML-N Sindh President Ismail Rahu said that the provincial government had not declared those polling stations as sensitive where PPP candidates could not easily win. He demanded that all the districts should be declared sensitive and polling be held under the supervision of army and Rangers.
Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim said if the army had been deployed in the first phase, the Khairpur tragedy could have been avoided.Barrister Zafar Ali Shah said that deployment of army and Rangers was must for holding transparent elections.