KARACHI, Dec 18: The annual elections 2006 of the Arts Council of Pakistan got under way amid a festive atmosphere on Sunday afternoon shortly after the conclusion of the general body meeting. Colourful banners and buntings depicting the composition of the contesting candidates were strung across the Arts Council building.

People taking part in the elections canvassed for votes as hundreds of the Arts Council members queued up to cast their votes.

Polling agents told Dawn that though the Arts Council had more than 4,000 members, but only 3,000 were eligible voters.

They added that the annual general body meeting had concluded around 1.30pm and the polling began at 2pm. They said that under the rules of the Arts Council, polling would continue for seven hours after which counting of votes would start.

The hustle and bustle that people expect during Arts Council elections was eminent. Parking was a major problem, as all sorts of vehicles were lined along M.R. Kiyani and Sarwar Shaheed roads.

Due to preoccupation with the polls, Koocha-i-Saqafat, the weekly feature of the Arts Council could not be organized this Sunday.

The candidates contesting for the post of vice-president are Saifur Rehman Grami, Syed Azfar Rizvi and Arif Shariq.

Aneeq Ahmed, Yawar Mehdi and Mansoor Zubari are contesting for the post of honorary-secretary.

The candidates contesting for the post of treasurer are Rizwan Siddiqui, Salma Baig and Javed Yousaf Qamar.

Those contesting for the governing council are Dr Rehana Mohammad Ali Shah, Mohammad Ayub, Shehnaz Siddiqui, M. Zaheer Khan, Fakhr-i-Alam, Prof Saher Ansari, Farhad Zaidi, Idress, Ghazi, Azra Riaz, Syed Sajid Hasan, Seema Ghazal, Kamal Ahmed Rizvi, Ibrahim Nafees, Naqqash Kazmi, Rabia Zubairi, Dr Farhana Essa, Najamuddin Sheikh, Waseem Hashmi, Shahina Puri, Owais Adeeb Ansari, Fazila Kazi, Zakia Ghazal, Adam Rathore, Haider Imam Rizvi, Mohammad Anwar Hannan, Naseem Ahmed Durrani, Mohammad Subektageen Saba, Vakil Farooqi, M. Asif Malik, Shabana Saher, Mohammad Sadiq, Zareen Fatima, Zainuddin Ahmed and Mohammad Aslam Shaikh.

The DCO and his 100 plus staff comprising officers and lower staff are entrusted duties as part of the Election Commission.

Results of the elections are expected to be announced in the early hours of Monday.