Vote count began after polling ends in NA-193 Rajanpur amid strict security

Rajanpur: (Web Desk) Vote count began after polling ended in the National Assembly constituency NA-193 Rajanpur amid strict security. The seat fell vacant due to the death of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) member Jaffar Khan Leghari. He died in Lahore on December 31, 2022, after a prolonged illness.

According to the source, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has set up 237 polling stations in the constituency out of which 68 have been declared sensitive. At least 2,650 police personnel have been deployed to deal with any untoward situation while Pakistan Army and Rangers personnel are also patrolling the area. 11 candidates are contesting NA-193 Rajanpur by-poll, but the main contest is expected between the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) candidate Emaar Owais Leghari and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Mohsin Leghari.

Meanwhile on Friday, Punjab’s caretaker government approached the ECP with a written request to postpone the by-election citing security concerns. Earlier, Commissioner Dera Ghazi Khan Division Khalid Manzoor mentioned the security concerns in his letter to the caretaker provincial government. But, the electoral watchdog on Saturday dismissed these concerns on the grounds that adequate security measures were being taken by the Punjab Police and Rangers for the provision of security at all the polling stations.

As per details a Central Control Room set up at Election Commission Secretariat Islamabad has started monitoring by polls being held in NA 193, Rajanpur on Sunday. A spokesman of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said in a statement on Sunday that the Control Room would continue working till receipt of the last result. Senior officers were monitoring the electioneering process from the Control Room, Islamabad.

Furthermore Separate Control Rooms established at Lahore and Rajanpur have also started registering complaints of election process. Immediate action would be taken against election code violators. The spokesman said that polling related complaints could be lodged round the clock on telephone no 051-9204402; 051-9204403; 051-9210837 and 051-9210838 and the complaints could also be faxed to the Control Room on 051-9204404.

Former minister and PTI leader Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said the PTI candidate would be winning Jampur seat today. Taking to Twitter, he said the entire Punjab police had been put in place in Jampur to intimidate and that the agri lands of influential PTI supporters had been erased with the help of tractors. He said despite all cheap tactics and high handedness, the PTI candidate would win the by-election.