KARACHI/RAWALPINDI/MULTAN: Polling has ended for the third and final phase of local government (LG) elections in Karachi and Punjab. PML N IS LEADING IN PUNJB. The polling process in the metropolis was marred by isolated incidents of violence and mismanagement. Earlier, polling for the third and final phase of local government elections in 12 districts of Punjab and six of Karachi began at 7.30am on Saturday amid tight security.

The Election Commission had rejected the request of several political parties to extend the polling time beyond 5.30pm.

Almost all the polling stations in the six districts of Karachi were declared ‘sensitive’ for security reasons, with only 234 of the 4,141 stations categorised as normal.

In the 12 districts of Punjab, 9,970 of the 14,012 polling stations were declared ‘normal’.

An official said 964 polling stations in the province were highly sensitive and 3,078 sensitive in the districts of Layyah, Rajanpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzaffargarh, Rawalpindi, Jhang, Khushab, Multan, Sialkot, Narowal, Rahimyar Khan and Bahawalpur.