Karachi:
The Sindh government said a public holiday on September 24 in 14 districts in the province to facilitate voters in the next period elections, according to a notification published on Monday. The Sindh education department has also given instructions to district education agents and the management of private schools in this regard.
The letter, sent to the departments concerned, said that polling stations would be set up in schools located in the relevant constituencies. Authorities also ordered district education officials and the management of private schools to extend full cooperation in arrangements.
The districts where the holidays will be observed include Ghotki, Sukkur, Khairpur, Mirpurkhas, Umerkot, Matiari, Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Dadu, Badin, Thista, Karachi East, Karachi West and Keamari. The authorities said that the decision was aimed at allowing citizens to vote without difficulty.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Electoral Commission (ECP) has taken note of information that government employees can boycott electoral tasks during local government journeys. According to a letter from the Sindh joint election commissioner to the provincial chief secretary, the Commission cited reports on social networks suggesting that certain staff members had threatened to refuse electoral assignments.
“A boycott of government employees could affect the electoral process,” warned the letter. He ordered the district administrations to take immediate measures to ensure the availability of the affected survey staff. The Commission said that most of the election employees come from the education department.
Earlier, the ECP had announced that the by -elections would take place the same day for 52 seats of local government vacant across the Sindh, including several in Karachi. Officials said the arrangements were finalized to ensure fluid survey in all districts where seats have become vacant.
A total of 23 candidates will dispute the next partial elections in Hyderabad, while the candidates of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) have already obtained seven seats without opposition. Three seats remain vacant because no eligible candidate has come forward.
