Sindh Declares Holiday for Local by-Elections

The Sindh government has announced a public holiday tomorrow in 14 districts of the province to allow citizens to cast their votes in the upcoming local government by-elections.

The holiday will apply to districts including Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Dadu, Badin, Thatta, Sukkur, Ghotki, Khairpur, Mirpurkhas, Umerkot, Matiari, Karachi West, Karachi East, and Keamari.

All government offices and institutions in these areas will remain closed on Wednesday, September 24.

By-elections are being held for two district council seats, six chairmen, seven vice-chairmen, and 13 general ward members across the 14 districts.

To ensure smooth polling, 1,512 officials will be on duty, including 14 district monitoring officers and 21 monitoring officers.

Authorities have set up 167 polling stations, of which 34 are marked sensitive and 127 highly sensitive.

Seventeen polling stations are reserved for men, another 17 for women, while 134 are designated as joint stations.

The Provincial Election Commission has prohibited the use of mobile phones inside polling stations to maintain order.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has sought the deployment of Sindh Rangers at sensitive polling stations in Karachi’s East, West, Keamari, and Umerkot districts.

The measure is aimed at ensuring law and order in areas considered more vulnerable during the by-polls.

A total of 243,187 voters are registered to take part, including 133,038 men and 110,154 women.

The provincial administration says the holiday aims to make voting accessible and hassle-free for citizens.