NA-213 Umerkot by-election: Polling underway amid tight security

UMERKOT: Polling for the by-election in NA-213 constituency began under strict security, ARY News reported on Thursday.

The polling, which kicked off at 8 am, will continue uninterrupted until 5 pm today.

To facilitate the election process, a public holiday is being observed in Umerkot district today

A total of 18 candidates are contesting for the seat, which fell vacant following the demise of senior Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Nawab Yousaf Talpur.

The key contest is between PPP’s Saba Talpur and joint opposition candidate Lal Malhi.

According to the Election Commission, the total number of registered voters in the constituency stands at 608,997, including 287,311 women.

Read more: PPP sweeps Karachi local government by-elections

Voting is taking place across 498 polling stations, of which 98 are designated exclusively for women.

Security has been heightened for the by-election, with 4,002 police personnel deployed at polling stations.

The Ministry of Interior has also issued a notification for the deployment of Rangers. Among the polling stations, 269 have been declared sensitive and 91 as highly sensitive.

The electoral process is being closely monitored to ensure transparency and security throughout the day.