Voting begins for by-poll in Multan's PP-218

MULTAN: Polling for by-election in Multan’s PP-218 began on Sunday morning amid tight security, ARY News reported.

The polling started at 8am and will continue till 5pm without any break. The Punjab Assembly seat fell vacant after the death of PTI MPA Mazhar Abbas Raan.

Major contenders vying for the seat are Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Malik Wasif Mazhar Raan, Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) Malik Muhammad Arshad.  Malik Shahid Abbas Raan, Muhammad Tufail, Muhammad Ramzan and Muhammad Israr-Ul-Haq Cheema are contesting elections as independent candidates.

MPA Malik Mazhar Abbas Raan had got 45,817 votes in the July 2018 general elections while PPP candidate Malik Muhammad Abbas bagged 37,417 votes and PML-N’s Zaffar Ahmed had secured 25,000 votes.

As many as 138 polling stations, including 25 for males, 24 for females and 89 combined, will be set up in the constituency. The polling stations have been divided into three categories, including 32 in category A, 48 in B and 58 polling stations have been put in category C.

A total of 203,188 voters, including 111,918 males and 91,270 females, will elect their representative to the Punjab Assembly. The ECP would set up 455 polling booths, including 246 for males and 209 for females.