Nearly 5,000 polling stations lack basic facilities: ECP sources

ISLAMABAD: A total of 4,945 polling stations are devoid of basic facilities, according to sources in the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

With the general election five days away, ECP officials said the provincial governments, despite the commission's repeated directives, failed to improve the standards of all the polling stations.

Out of the total 85,307 polling stations across the country, 20,831 polling stations have been declared sensitive. Of the sensitive polling stations, there are hundreds that lack boundary walls, according to ECP sources. 

Sindh province has the worst record with the highest number of dilapidated polling stations. Out of the province’s total 17,747 polling stations, 3,688 lack adequate facilities such as boundary walls, availability of water and provision of electricity. 

Out of Balochistan’s 4,420 polling stations, 576 lack the required facilities. 

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 570 of the total 12,634 polling stations do not have the needed facilities. 

In Punjab, 107 polling stations do not meet the required standards whereas in the federal capital, four polling stations are not up to the mark out of its total 360 polling stations. 

Polling is expected to begin on July 25 at 8am and conclude without any break at 6pm. The timings for the polls was revised by the ECP last month in order to ensure maximum turnout amid the summer heat. 

As many as 12,570 candidates will be contesting for a total 849 seats of national and provincial assemblies in the general election.