KARACHI: The Sindh government on Monday declared a public holiday in districts where local government (LG) by-polls are scheduled for September 24.

The provincial government notified that a total of 28 LG seats in 14 districts will be up for grabs in the upcoming by-elections.

The by-elections will be conducted for two district council seats, six chairmen, seven vice-chairmen, and 13 general ward members across 14 districts.

A spokesperson for the Provincial Election Commissioner (Sindh) said that 1,512 officials — including 14 district monitoring officers and 21 monitoring officers — will be on duty during the balloting.

The authorities have set up 167 polling stations, out of which 34 have been designated sensitive, while 127 have been classified as highly sensitive.

The spokesperson said that 17 polling stations have been set up for men, and as many for women, while 134 will be joint polling stations.

The number of registered voters stands at 243,187, including 133,038 men and 110,154 women.

Parties will be barred from public gatherings, rallies, processions, and corner meetings 48 hours prior to polling time in line with Section 182 of the Elections Act, 2017.

The restrictions will be enforced from midnight between September 22 and 23 and remain effective until the conclusion of polling.

The rules also prohibit carrying mobile phones inside polling stations; however, polling staff and security personnel are exempt from these restrictions.