Polling for the by-election in NA-148 (Multan-1) began on Sunday (today), with 69 polling stations deemed sensitive throughout the constituency.
Voting started at 8 a.m. and will continue uninterrupted until 5 p.m. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and Multan district administration stated they have taken all necessary measures for a transparent poll.
At least 444,231 people will exercise their right to vote in the election, which has 275 polling stations.
The ECP Punjab spokesperson stated that comprehensive security measures had been implemented at polling stations, and surveillance cameras and walk-through gates had also been put at sensitive voting locations.
The seat is being contested by eight candidates, including Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI)-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) leader Barrister Taimur Altaf Malik and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Ali Qasim Gillani.
The National Assembly seat has become vacant with the election of Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani as senator. Gillani defeated Malik in a close race for the seat in the 2024 general elections.
Meanwhile, an ECP spokesperson stated that an Election Monitoring and Control Center had been built for the public's convenience, where people could file concerns about the ongoing polling.
"Prompt action will be taken to ensure that the issue is resolved on time. At the center, trained employees have been assigned. Four tiers of control centers have been established to expedite the registration and handling of individuals' complaints," the spokesperson stated.
The EMCC has been formed at the district, divisional, and provincial levels in addition to the ECP Secretariat in Islamabad, according to the ECP spokesman.