KARACHl: As major political players have either chose not to contest or boycotted the by-election on NA-258 being held today, the Pakistan Peoples Party is set to reclaim the National Assembly seat it lost in the 2013 general election to the same man who is now contesting the election on its ticket.

Abdul Hakeem Baloch had won the NA-258 election in 2013 on a ticket of the PML-N. Recently, he joined the Pakistan Peoples Party, resigned from his assembly membership to contest the by-election on a PPPticket.

The PML-N did not field its candidate in the by-election. Three other parties the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and the outlawed Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat announced boycott of the by-election accusing the provincial government of pre-poll rigging.

Excluding the three boycotting parties, a total of 11 candidates are in the run, Mr Baloch, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl`s Maulana Akram Shah and Shah Waliullah of the Muttahida Deeni Mahaz. Eight of the candidates are independent.

Polling would begin at 8am and would continue till 5pm without a break.

All polling stations in the constituency have either been declared `sensitive` or `extreme sensitive`, while presiding officers and the Rangers have been given magisterial powers.

According to Province Election Commissioner of Sindh Tanveer Zaki, no persons, except the presiding officers, would be allowed to use cellphone on the premises of a polling station.

All election staff and voters could enter their respective polling station by showing their original computerised national identity cards.