KARACHI: Impressive response in New Karachi, dull elsewhere
By Mukhtar Alam
KARACHI, Oct 10: Election fervour was witnessed at its peak in NA-244 as voters started turning up to polling stations since the commencement of polling on Thursday.
As a result of a survey of different polling stations of NA-243, 244 and 245, spread out over the areas of the newly established New Karachi Town, North Nazimabad Town (part) and Gulberg Town (part), NA-244 stood out as far as the votes cast percentage was concerned. The turnout of voters during the day at polling stations visited by this scribe was calculated as 36 to 40 per cent in NA-244, followed by NA-245 and NA-243, where voter turnout was estimated around 31 and 29 per cent respectively.
The reason behind the higher turnout in NA-244 was attributed to the candidates fielded by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA), Pakistan Muslim League (PML), People’s Party Parliamentarian (PPP) and Sunni Tehrik (ST). All the forces behind these parties were out to steal the show, as to some it was a matter of survival, while to others it was a question of revival, but the ST workers and supporters took election day as a launching pad.
The real sentiments of voters were obvious in Godhra (11-G, New Karachi). Both male and female voters with a slant towards the ST and MMA started thronging to their respective polling stations since the morning. The rush of voters outside and within the limits of Shaikh Saadi School, Govt Boys Primary School and GBBS (5-F, New Karachi) reflected a true sense of participation and competition from the parties.
The turnout at polling stations set up at a couple of New Karachi schools was remarkably high, ranging from 32 to 44 per cent. At one polling station set up at RIG School, Block-19, Federal B Area, was recorded at around 36 per cent at 3:30pm.
Enthusiasm was also seen in NA-245, where workers of different parties, including Muttahida and MMA, pursued the voters and offered them a free pick-and-drop facility as well. Camps were erected by major contesting parties in the vicinity of the polling stations to facilitate voters.
Among others, the all time winner of Muttahida, Kunwar Khalid Younus, and Secretary of Jamaat-i-Islami, Munawar Hasan, were in the run for National Assembly seat NA-245. The constituency comprises some parts of North Nazimabad including shanty towns, Shadman Town, and some parts of North Karachi, with a total of 253,969 registered voters.
Polling stations located in kutchi abadis or urban slums, proved even fields for every major political party contesting the elections. A lot of enthusiasm in voters, as well as the game of persuasion being played by party workers, was observed till the last minute outside polling stations established for the population of Bilal Colony in NA-245, Shahnawaz Bhutto Colony and Khamiso Goth in NA-243.
‘They are begging for votes today, and would go out of sight tomorrow, leaving us in (a) pool of sewage and heaps of waste,’ said one of the voters in Khamiso goth, adding that residents of kutchi abadi’s wanted roads, proper water supply and other basic amenities.
Voters expressed their satisfaction over the security arrangements. The majority of the stations were supervised by police or private security men, while rangers were also seen deployed at a couple of stations in each constituency.
Polling at some stations commenced between 45 to 70 minutes behind schedule. The reasons cited for this were the non-availability of polling agents of candidates or late supply of stationary.
Polling in the NA constituencies, which also covered provincial assembly constituencies PS 98, 99, 100, 101, 102 and 103, remained peaceful. At some stations, voters were returned as they were not in possession of the national identity card in original — a must for vote casting.
At a couple of stations, electricity was not available and polling staff had to bear the sultry, hot weather. At Farhana School station, one of the election staff said that there could be a problem in counting the votes if electricity supply was not restored by the evening.
Certain polling stations were established in private schools’ buildings, which were not capable of accommodating the load. At the North Public School in Sector 5-A/2 — a three storey congested building on a 80 sq yds plot — voters and election staff had to suffer, as there was not enough place for female voters and election staff to work or move easily.
An MMA election worker claimed that the names of about 1,200 voters of Umer Farooq Colony were missing from the voters’ lists, and they were running from pillar to post to exercise their right to vote. Polling booths set up on the second floors of college or school buildings were also a source of concern for females and elderly people.
At TCF polling station in Bilal Colony, voters had to stay under the sun for long periods, as the election staff was slow, while the security employees did not allow them to enter the premises and stay under the roof. The PPP, PML (Q), Muttahida and MMA workers were making hectic efforts to pacify their voters.
The turnout of voters at some of the stations were noted as follows; NA 243 — Al Hameed School (35 per cent at 12:15pm), The North Public School (29 per cent at 1pm), Omer Khan Dispensary (29 per cent at 1:30pm).
NA-244 — Govt Degree Girls College (28 per cent at 1:45pm), Ibrahim Ali Bhai Primary School (37 per cent at 3pm), Rig School (36 per cent at 3:15pm), GBBS, Sector 5-F, N Karachi (44 pc at 4:10pm) and Khamiso Goth (31.5 pc at 4:30pm).
NA-245 — Jinnah College (2 pc at 9:15am), Shaheed-i-Millat School (11 pc at 10:40am) and Sun City Grammar School (19 pc at 1:30pm).
At some of the stations’ visited, voters did not turn up for one hour at the start of polling, while increase in their numbers was generally observed around 11am and 3pm. Female voters were found enthusiastic in the Godhra vicinity of New Karachi since morning, said eye witnesses.
