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ISLAMABAD, April 29: All arrangements have been completed in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad for the presidential referendum being held on Tuesday.
Over 1,000 ballot boxes and polling material, including stationary, and stamps, were handed over to the presiding officers of over 350 polling stations set up in the Capital.
The Capital administration gave the material to the polling staff at a meeting held at Islamabad Model School for Boys F-8/4 on Monday. The meeting was presided over by the district and sessions judge, Islamabad.
All ballot boxes and polling material would be taken back to the Referendum Emergency Centre (REC) set up in the same school.
The referendum result in Islamabad will be announced by the district and sessions judge, Islamabad, Tuesday night.
After the meeting, all presiding officers were sent to their respective polling stations in vehicles acquired for referendum.
Meanwhile, the ICT administration managed to acquire over 350 vehicles, including over 100 from government departments and over 250 from private transport services. Some 50 vehicles were given by the Capital Development Authority (CDA).
A source told Dawn that the Motorway police had impounded many private transport vehicles plying between Lahore and Islamabad for referendum duty.
A REPORTER ADDS: The district judiciary of the Capital informed the federal government that all arrangements required for the presidential referendum had been finalized.
District and Sessions Judge Islamabad Sheikh Farooq Ahmed in his capacity as assistant returning officer and Civil Judge Syed Muzaffar Ali Shah in his capacity as liaison officer for the referendum had conveyed to the government that over 2,200 polling staff was prepared to conduct polling at over 350 stations in Islamabad.
Special police personnel will patrol around the polling stations to be set up in government schools and installations. All senior officials of the administration and police will keep the assistant returning officer informed about the law and order situation and the pace of polling at all stations.
RAWALPINDI BUREAU ADDS: Almost 2,350 polling stations have been set up in Rawalpindi district at a cost of more than Rs12 million. The estimates do not cover the cost of security deployment, communications etc.
The number of eligible registered voters in Rawalpindi Division is 4.2 million, according to the statistics of the local bodies polls.
The local transport union leaders told Dawn that so far the administration had impounded about 575 vehicles, which include 250 Suzukis, 225 wagons/Hiace and 100 mini-buses from Rawalpindi.
ONLINE ADDS: A meeting, presided over by Interior Minister Moinuddin Haider, was held to review the law and order situation in the country for Tuesday’s presidential referendum.
