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Local government elections in Punjab, Karachi today

Islamabad - The MQM faces tough competition from two alliances - PTI with Jamaat-e-Islami and PPP combining with smaller parties.

The third phase of local government elections in 12 districts of Punjab and six districts of Sindh including country's biggest city Karachi will be held today (Saturday).
The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is expected to dominate in Punjab as it did in the first two phases and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) is likely to be in lead for bid to seize the coveted office of mayor in country's biggest city and financial hub.
The MQM faces tough competition from two alliances - PTI with Jamaat-e-Islami and PPP combining with smaller parties.
Stringent security measures have been taken for peaceful and smooth polling. Over 9000 Rangers and 20 companies of the army have been deployed to assist the police.
They have been empowered to enter polling stations, arrest and send to jail on the spot anybody who creates trouble and interferes in the fair and orderly conduct of polling.
Meanwhile, the Sindh government has decided to deploy a force of 35,057 police personnel and 7,400 Rangers at polling stations across Karachi as a part of the security arrangements for local body polls
The security personnel will be deployed at all the 4,037 polling stations of the metropolis, of which 1,714 have been declared as most sensitive and 1,329 as sensitive.
In Punjab independent candidates, mostly PML-N rebels who were not awarded tickets and the PTI may deny the PML-N clear majority even while the independent candidates tend to join the ruling party.
news@khaleejtimes.com