Karachi’s six cantonment boards are among the 42 cantonments across several cities to go for local bodies polls on Sunday, September 12.

The six Cantonment boards in Karachi include Cantonment Board Clifton (CBC), Cantonment Board Faisal (CBF), Cantonment Board Manora, Cantonment Board Malir, Cantonment Board Korangi and Cantonment Board Karachi.

There are a total of 42 wards in the six cantonment boards.

As many as 343 candidates will be taking part in these elections. Of the total, 238 candidates represent various political parties, while 105 others, including nine women, are running as independent candidates.

Polling areas would be exempted from load-shedding on Saturday and Sunday, Regional Election Commissioner Nadeem Haider said.

All arrangements in this regard were complete, Haider said, adding that pollings would be held on Sunday, September 12 between 8am and 5pm.

All candidates, he said, were instructed to end electioneering and canvassing by midnight on Friday.

Forty-two wards in six boards

There are 42 wards in Karachi’s six cantonment boards, with Clifton Cantonment board being the most populace.

Cantonment Board Clifton has 10 wards and 130 polling stations.

Cantonment Board Faisal also has 10 wards and 79 polling stations.

Cantonment Board Malir has 10 wards and 25 polling stations. Cantonment Board Korangi Creek has five wards and 18 polling stations.

Cantonment Board Karachi has five wards and 24 polling stations.

Cantonment Board Manora has two wards and three polling stations.

The total number of registered voters in all six cantonment boards in the city is 466,695. However, most of the fall in Clifton Cantonment Board. Of the total, 244,317 are males while 222,198 are females.

Parties and candidates

This is an overview of candidates fielded by various political parties:

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has fielded their 41 candidates, including a woman.

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has fielded 40 candidates, including a woman.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement (Pakistan) has fielded 31 candidates.

Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) listed 27 candidates.

Jamaat-e-Islami named 36 candidates, including a woman.

Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) 18 candidates.

Pakistan Muslim League (Functional) (PML-F) has fielded 13 candidates. Five more women are also taking part as independent candidates.

The highest number of candidates, 98, are contesting elections from CBC.

In CBF, there are a total of 88 candidates.

As many as 62 candidates are contesting polls from CB Malir.

There are 40 candidates in polls from Cantonment Board Karachi.

At least 49 candidates are contesting elections in CB Korangi Creek, while six candidates are eunning for polls in CB Manora.

The Regional Election Commissioner said that a fool-proof security plan had been finalised for the elections.

Police and Rangers’ personnel were deployed at all polling stations.

How cantonment boards work?

Political parties are contesting cantonment boards’ elections to get their vice-president elected at each cantonment board.

The vice-presidents of all cantonment board are responsible for municipal issues in their respective areas.

In total, there are six vice-presidents.

The candidates are elected to the post of vice-president on the basis of majority in the cantonment board elections.

The vice-president works under the president of the cantonment board, who is a serving officer of armed forces at Brigadier level. A CSS officer is appointed as the chief executive officer in all cantonment boards, who acts as the secretary of the board, besides running administrative affairs and acting as a bridge between elected members and army officers.

The cantonment boards’ elections in Hyderabad and Pano Aqil cantonment boards would also be held on Sunday.

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