Elections mostly peaceful as Karachi sees significant voter turnout

Mostly peaceful voting with a significant turnout of residents wishing to exercise their democratic right marked the general elections in most urban parts of Karachi on Thursday.

Stringent security arrangements with army troops providing backup to the police and Rangers kept the security situation under control during the balloting. No major law and order incident was reported in most parts of the city, where some 55,000 police and Rangers officials maintained peace on Election Day.

A total of 575 candidates contested the general elections for 22 National Assembly seats in Karachi and 1,406 candidates for 47 provincial assembly seats in the city. Voting was held from 8am to 5pm without any break.

Activists and supporters belonging to rival political parties remained largely peaceful and did not resort to clashes during polling. Complaints, however, were received from various constituencies about delays in the start of voting. Other election-related irregularities and rigging incidents were also reported at several polling stations in various districts.

Despite a countrywide shutdown of cellular phone and internet services, people reached their respective polling stations by noon in significant numbers to cast their votes. Young male and female voters as well as senior citizens reached their respective polling stations in large numbers in the early hours of the polling to cast their ballots.

The polling camps of the independent candidates backed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) drew a large number of voters. PTI activists and supporters guided the voters about the election symbols of the party’s candidates contesting the polls independently.

The turnout of voters during the polling hours was equally encouraging in the suburban and rural parts of District Malir and the adjoining Gadap areas. In the NA-236 constituency, according to the locals, balloting could not be held at the polling station established at the Askari-IV housing project near COD.

People in significant numbers kept waiting for hours for the start of the voting process but to no avail. The polling staff reportedly faced violence at the hands of a political party’s supporters that kept the balloting process suspended there.

Voting could also not be held at polling station No. 804 and No. 805 in Gulshan-e-Iqbal (NA-236 and PS-99 constituencies). The locals resorted to protest demonstrations against the polling stations not operating.

Polling could not start on time at the polling stations established in Block-E of the North Nazimabad neighbourhood in District Central, covering the NA-250 and PS-129 constituencies.

Senator Taj Haider, incharge of the Pakistan Peoples Party’s central election cell, complained that the presiding officer of the polling station set up at the Benazir Degree College in Azam Basti (PS-105 constituency) had been taken hostage by four or five unidentified armed persons.

Senator Haider claimed that the unidentified persons had stolen the ballot boxes from polling station No. 93, No. 94, No. 95 and No. 96 in the same constituency.

He also claimed that the armed persons who resorted to violence and lawlessness in the constituency belonged to the candidate of the Grand Democratic Alliance. He said that video evidence was also available to substantiate his allegations.

Jamaat-e-Islami Karachi chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said that voting had been held peacefully throughout the day in the city. However, he claimed, in the evening miscreants belonging to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) had attempted to barge into and occupy the polling stations.

Rehman claimed that a polling station in Nazimabad No. 2 had been occupied by MQM activists despite the presence of Rangers. He said that despite several attempts, his party could not establish contact with the Sindh Rangers chief.

The JI city chief also alleged that activists of the MQM had resorted to firing in Shah Faisal Colony No. 2 and No. 5, in the NA-232 constituency.

Sindh caretaker chief minister Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar said that stringent security measures, including the deployment of personnel of the law enforcement agencies (LEAs), had helped the interim provincial government maintain security during the polling process.

In a statement, Sindh Governor Kamran Khan Tessori congratulated the city’s administration and the security agencies for maintaining peace during the polls. He said he had remained in touch with the LEAs and the administration while monitoring the polling process throughout the day.

Tessori also congratulated the staff of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for holding the general elections in a smooth and trouble-free manner. He also congratulated the media for ensuring ample coverage of the elections.

He said that despite the circulation of baseless rumours, all the stakeholders had worked hard in collaboration with one another for ensuring that the general elections are held peacefully.

He also congratulated the public for their significant turnout at the polling stations. He hoped that the incoming elected government would work hard to resolve the issues of the people and revive the national economy.