Elections for local governments are currently taking place in Hyderabad and Karachi.

On Sunday, the long-awaited second round of Sindh’s local elections began in 16 districts, including Karachi and Hyderabad.Voting started at 8am and will last until 5pm. In spite of morning temperatures in the single digits, television reports indicated low participation.

In a news conference with reporters in Karachi three hours into the voting, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman of Jamaat-i-Islami expressed his delight with the “by and large peaceful” security situation.

The Rapid Response Force should demonstrate movement, he added, adding that he wanted to respect the security forces. They ought to engage with the populace so that people feel secure in the security situation.

He said that some polling places had been “burned down via a plot as they wanted to prevent the people from voting” in some locations. But I want to commend the residents of Landhi and Labour Square for continuing to cast their ballots and responding to these terrorists in a dignified manner.