KARACHI, Oct 10: Mismanagement by the Election Commission was one of the reasons for the low turnout at various polling stations of the city in Thursday’s general elections.

Two polling staffers at polling booth Nos. 186 and 187 set up in North Karachi for NA-244 and PS-100 constituencies were seen purchasing black ink and gum at midnight on Wednesday. Sensing that they might be polling officials buying black ink at such an odd hour for the elections the next morning, this reporter queried them further. “Yes, you have guessed it right. We are polling officials for polling booth No. 186 set up at Oxford School,” one of them replied.

When asked why the government had not supplied them with material necessary to ensure smooth polling, he said the government had provided ink bottles and ink pads, but they were dry and thus unusable. “Hence, we have to make such arrangements by ourselves,” the man revealed, requesting anonymity.

Ghulam Mohammed, a resident of sector 11-H, said that he had gone to one of the camps set up by different political parties in the locality to learn which polling booth he should go to. “But,” he regretted, “the lists did not carry my name (or the names of) my four-member family. I really wanted to cast my vote, but I am disappointed,” he said, adding that the arrangements were unsatisfactory.

A resident of Buffer Zone had a similar complaint, though in his case, the other voter in his family — his wife — was listed in the voters’ lists.

A lack of adequate police presence at a polling station set up in F.J. Grammar School, Malir Colony, in NA-257 gave an opportunity to the supporters of the MQM (Haqiqi) and Jamaat-i-Islami — a component of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, to take charge of the situation.

According to a witness, these elements forced their entry into booths No. 2 and 3 at about 3pm and stamped the whole lot of ballot papers. Then they came out to tell the waiting voters that they could go home, as all the votes had been cast.

CONFUSION: In Metroville-III when voters went to polling station No. 139 at 8:30am, they found that ballot boxes were being sealed and no arrangements appeared to be made for polling to commence, adds PPI.