Polling for the by-election in NA-148 (Multan-1) is currently taking place today, Sunday. Voting started at 8 am and will continue until 5 pm without any breaks. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the local administration in Multan have prepared extensively to ensure a fair election. In total, 444,231 voters are expected to cast their ballots at 275 polling stations, with 69 of these stations deemed sensitive.
To bolster security, surveillance cameras and walk-through gates have been installed at the sensitive polling stations. The election sees eight candidates competing, including Barrister Taimur Altaf Malik from the PTI-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) and Ali Qasim Gillani from the PPP. This by-election is necessary because the seat became vacant following Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani’s election to the Senate.
An Election Monitoring and Control Centre (EMCC) has been set up by the ECP to facilitate the public in registering complaints about the polling process. Immediate actions will be taken to address any issues, with trained staff stationed at these centers, which are established at various administrative levels, including the ECP Secretariat in Islamabad, as well as provincial, divisional, and district levels.
