May 1, 2002	Wednesday	Safar 17, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, April 30: Blatant irregularities were seen at polling centres across the country on Tuesday as both eligible and ineligible voters cast their votes, often more than once, in Gen Pervez Musharraf’s referendum on extending his presidency.

Opposition feared that the lack of an electoral roll would lead to multiple voting or ballot stuffing appeared to be justified as many voters openly queued up time and again to make their marks.

At one station a woman claimed to have cast her vote no less than 60 times, while schoolgirls aged well under the qualifying 18 years were seen voting at another.

Student Javed Ahmed, 17, said he cast his ballot twice at two different stations in the southwestern province of Balochistan.

“I took the risk just for fun and they did not even ask for my National Identity Card or any other document,” he said.

Nawaz Bhutto said he paid several visits to different polling centres in the Lyari district, despite “indelible” ink marks made on his fingers to stop multiple voting.

“I voted eight times as it was not very difficult to remove the ink. It was really fun,” he said.

Some 70 million people are eligible to participate, but only a trickle of ballots were reported at most centres, except where crowds had been rounded up to impress visiting officials and international observers.

In Punjab, the only signs of life were at stations where the governor of Punjab, Khalid Maqbool, was accompanied by a group of foreign correspondents. More than 80 per cent of centres were said to be deserted.

Even in Gujrat, a stronghold of pro-Musharraf group, a turnout of just 20 per cent was reported.

In Lahore, Musharraf supporters took to the streets waving flags and playing patriotic songs, but their enthusiasm was unmatched at polling booths.

Two opposition activists were seen being arrested by police in Multan after they tried to distribute anti-referendum pamphlets.

Many traders in Quetta had pledged their support for the referendum, but a strike called by opposition leaders had reduced the turnout.

Voter apathy was evident in Karachi. “I will stay at home and watch TV with my family, although it is not a public holiday,” said a cloth merchant Gul Sher Khan, who runs a shop in the busy commercial centre.

In rural areas turnout was said to be slightly better although seasonal harvests were keeping many people busy.

Thinking herself unobserved, a polling officer quietly stamped ballot papers with a “yes” vote, falsifying votes.

Challenged by a journalists’ team, the presiding officer at a government college for women in Rawalpindi said she had been given no choice by her superiors.