SKARDU: The polling for the by-election in the GBA-09 (Skardu-III) constituency is underway today, ARY News reported.
The GB Election Commission had announced the by-election in the constituency after the GB Supreme Appellate Court had disqualified PPP candidate Fida Muhammad Nashad, who had been notified as a returned candidate in the June polls.
Nashad’s son, Akhtar Abbas, will now contest the elections on PPP’s ticket, while Mohammad Ajmal will be in the field from PML-N.
Former minister Mohammad Saleem, who is contesting as an independent, will also be among 10 candidates who have filed their nomination papers.
According to the election schedule, 33,000 voters will cast their ballots as polling will run from 8am to 5pm.
GBA-09 has a total of 61 polling stations, of which 25 have been declared “sensitive” in Category A, 11 termed “medium” under Category B, and another 25 deemed normal in Category C.
As many as 1000 security personnel from GB Police, GB Scouts and the armed forces have been deployed.
For voters’ convenience, a holiday has been declared in the constituency.
