KARACHI, Oct 6: The polling in the third phase of local body elections 2005 remained peaceful as no untoward incident was reported from anywhere in the 18 towns of the city where 100 per cent voter turnout was recorded.

A visit to different polling stations revealed that most of the voters cast their votes by mid-day, but the returning officers kept the polling process open until 4pm.

Elected councillors, who constituted the electoral college, were brought to the polling stations amid tight security by their respective supporting platforms.

Para-military Rangers and police were deployed in and outside the polling stations to deal with any law and order situation. Polling started at 8am and by 2pm, a majority of votes were cast. No untoward incident was reported in the city.

Outside some polling stations, banners and posters of the rival candidates were hoisted. Central leaders of all the contesting groups — Haq Parast group, Khushhal Pakistan panel and Tameer-i-Karachi Ittehad — also visited the polling stations.

Peaceful polling for the slot of city nazim and for town nazims was held in Saddar, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Liaquatabat, Gulberg, Keamari, Shah Faisal, Bin Qasim, Malir, Landhi, Korangi and Orangi and other towns.

Syed Mustafa Kamal of Haq Parast group and Niamatullah Khan from Tameer-i-Karachi Ittehad termed the polling peaceful.

Mustafa Kamal, who was present at the Gulshan Town polling station at 2.15pm, told Dawn that he was satisfied with the election process. He said he had paid visits to different towns, Jamshed, Gadap, Site towns, and was fully satisfied.

In reply to a question, he said that the people already had given their verdict on Aug 18.

Niamatullah Khan, when asked by phone to give his impression, said he visited over half a dozen towns, including North Nazimabad, Site, Baldia, Keamari, Jamshed and Gulshan and found the polling process peaceful. However, he said the police continued harassment of their workers and activists, and said the house of Dr Pervez Mehmood was raided and his nephew Sami was picked up. Similarly, the police raided the Afroze Medical Centre and entered the house of Dr Afroze. He also said that his colleagues were receiving threatening phone calls.

Mr Khan said he had sent complaints to the election commission.

Earlier, at the election camp of Niamatullah Khan in Gulshan-i-Iqbal Town, Saeed Chaowla, who introduced himself as chief polling agent of a candidate for town nazim from the platform of TKI, accused the authorities of harassing their voters.

He said unconcerned people were roaming freely inside polling stations. Accusing the police of partiality, he said obstacles were created when their voters came to cast their votes.

The presiding officer told Dawn that out of 169 votes, 165 were cast till 2.15 pm. He said that polling had started around 8am. He also said that 10 challenge votes had been cast at the polling station as polling agents had raised objections on the technical grounds in the names on the NIC and electoral rolls.

At the Superior Science College centre, supporters and activists of the contesting parties were moving freely. At 1.30pm, 77 out of 91, votes were cast.

In Landhi Town, polling was held in a peaceful atmosphere at Aqsa Girls College polling station and voter turnout was 98 per cent at 2pm and more than 120 votes, out of 146, were cast.

The polling agents of both the Haq Parast and KTI panels were present during the polling. However, no polling agent, other than of Haq Parast Group was present at GGHS School Comprehensive, Korangi No 3 polling station in Korangi town.

In Bin Qasim Town, the poling was held in a peaceful atmosphere at Pakistan Institute of Technology (Swedish) Quaidabad where the TKI candidate Umer Jatt told journalists that his three councillors were missing since last night and despite all efforts he could not contact them on mobile.

The situation in this town changed at the last when the Muttahida Qaumi Movement did not support the PML’s Khushhal panel and this situation cleared the position for Umer Jatt.

Close contest was also witnessed in Keamari Town for which the polling station was located at Habib Public School. Rival PML(Q) candidates switched sides. The contest here was mainly between Khushal Pakistan and Awam Dost panels. Haq Parast Panel put its weight behind one of the two groups of the KPP which made the context interesting and put the KPP nazim candidate on the driving seat.

In Malir Town, around 1.30pm, 90 votes had been cast, out of 91.

At APWA Girls College polling station in Gulberg, 103 votes had been cast out of 104 votes by 12.30pm. Missing councillor Mohammad Hussain came around 2pm from a hospital to cast his vote.

At the D J College polling station in Saddar Town, 95 votes had been cast, out of 143, by 12.45pm. In the vicinity of the college, all the three roads were blocked by police vans. According to the polling agents, the first vote was cast at 8.15 am.

In Liaquatabad Town, the polling stations were set up at Sir Syed Girls College, where by 1.30 pm 142 votes, out of 143, were cast. The only vote left was of Abdul Wahid Khan. The RO waited for the candidate.

According to the Returning Officer (Ist Additional District and Sessions Judge East) Ms Saadia Rashid, the entire polling process remained peaceful and no complaint was received from any polling agent about harassment of voters or use of mobile phones with cameras to take photos of ballot papers.

Her statement was endorsed by the polling agents of the rival camps facing each other in the polling station where ballot box was kept.

Except Gulshan Town polling stations where there was a rush of voters, other polling stations gave a deserted look.