BAHAWALPUR: Polling was underway on Sunday in the NA-168 Bahawalpur by-poll, with a close contest expected between PML-N’s Malik Munir Iqbal Channar and independent candidate Wali Dad Cheema.

Polling began at 8am and is expected to conclude at 5pm. Spokesperson for the Election Commission of Pakistan Huda Gohar told Dawn that voters present within the boundaries of the polling station will be allowed to cast their vote past 5pm as well.

The constituency fell vacant after the death of Malik Muhammad Iqbal Channar in August, whose son is now the ruling party candidate.

According to data from the provincial Election Commissioner’s office, a total of 483,143 people are registered in the constituency, including 248,259 men and 234,614 women, with a total of 292 polling stations. At the polling stations, 307 presiding officers and 941 polling officers and assistant presiding officers have been deployed.

A day earlier, the Punjab home department requested the interior ministry for deployment of troops of the Pakistan Army and Rangers (Punjab) in the constituency for smooth, peaceful and secure conduct of the by-election.

Leading up to the election, on September 12, in an armed clash, three persons were injured at Baqirpur in connection with the election campaign of Cheema, who is the son of former PML-Q federal minister Tariq Bashir Cheema.

As per Rescue 1122 sources, during Cheema’s election rally, the clash occurred between the supporters of the rival candidates, and some of them resorted to firing, resulting in injuries to three people.