May 2, 2002	Thursday	Safar 18, 1423

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GUJRAT, May 1: Under the directives of the higher authorities, employees of different departments have cast their votes twice or thrice during the presidential referendum which received a poor public response in Gujrat, it is learnt.

Sources said intelligence agencies had already informed the government that political parties, including PML (Q) leaders, had failed to mobilize the people for referendum.

Local heads of several departments directed their subordinates to cast multiple votes as the agencies had hinted at low turnout, they said.

The election commission, they said, had also provided enough room for rigging when it announced that the whole country would be considered as a single constituency.

The departments whose employees were forced to commit rigging include, district council, municipal committee, revenue, health, education, Wapda, SNGPL, PTCL, and others.

A senior officer requesting anonymity told Dawn that provincial authorities had directed the divisional and district heads to obey the orders.

This correspondent witnessed on Tuesday no rush of people or queues at polling stations as the turnout remained very low.

The police set up a picket outside the district council building where several commuter vehicles were stopped and their occupants were forcibly asked to cast their votes.