Pakistan on Sunday held elections in the 39 cantonment boards across the country, a grand electoral contest at the local level ahead of the 2023 general polls.
According to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the polling began at 8 am. A total of 1,513 candidates are vying for 206 general member seats.
There are 219 wards in 42 cantonment boards in the country, but polling was not being held in any of the nine wards of Kamra, Cherat and Murree Gallies cantonments because either the candidates were elected unopposed or the polling was postponed.
Elections are not being organised in four other wards of various boards where candidates won unopposed. All leading political parties including the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) as well as various nationalist and religious parties are contesting the key elections.
It is the third major electoral contest since the 2018 general elections.
Since all parties are contesting individually, the outcome will help them prepare for the next general elections scheduled to be held in 2023.
