Polling in the by-election to the Punjab Assembly constituency PP 84 Khushab has been continuing on Wednesday.
The seat fell vacant after the death of Muslim League (PML-N) member Malik Muhammad Waris died from Covid-19 on March 12.
Polling began at 8am and will continue until 5 pm without any break.
A tough contest is expected between the PML-N and the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Eight candidates are in the run of whom PTI’s Sardar Ali Hussain Khan Baloch and Malik Moazzam Sher Kallu of the PML-N are front runners.
Ghulam Habib Ahmed is the Pakistan People’s Party candidate in the by-polls.
There are 292,687 registered voters in the constituency – 155,104 male and 137,583 female. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has set up 229 polling stations and issued SOPs to prevent spread of Covid-19.
Forty three polling stations have been declared sensitive and 14 highly sensitive. More than 2,800 police and 500 Rangers have been deployed in the constituency for the polling day.
Punjab Election Commissioner Ghulam Israr Khan has formed 10 teams to monitor the situation whereas CCTV cameras have also been installed at all sensitive polling stations.
Meanwhile, the PTI and PML-N workers clashed at a polling station at Jamali Balochan Girls High School. Eye witnesses claimed that the rival workers exchanged hot words after voters were stopped from casting votes. Police intervened in time and prevented a physical clash.
