ISLAMABAD, Feb 6: The Election Commission has expressed fears of a low voter turnout on February 18 because of lacklustre campaigning by candidates and political parties across the country.

“If political parties don’t accelerate their election campaign, I’m afraid the voter turnout will be low,” Election Commission Secretary Kanwar Dilshad told Dawn on Wednesday.

Political parties should organise more rallies and meetings to encourage voters, he said. He also urged them to concentrate on their party manifestos instead of hurling allegations and engaging in mud-slinging.

Replying to a question, Mr Dilshad said rigging was impossible since the commission had made all possible arrangements to hold the polls in a free, fair, transparent and peaceful manner.

He said the presence of two million polling agents would ensure that no rigging took place. “We assured all contesting political parties that the commission was very much concerned about their rigging fears and will make it doubly sure at each step that no irregularity takes place,” he said.

“The results of the elections will be given to polling agents on the same day once the counting of votes is finished,” he said.

He regretted that some parties continued to talk about rigging despite receiving assurances from the commission.

Mr Dilshad said that maintaining law and order was the responsibility of provincial governments which would act in coordination with police, Rangers and the army on election day.

He said that police and Rangers had been assigned the task of maintaining law and order. “But the army will be fully behind them. Therefore, we hope that there will be no untoward incident during and after the election,” he said.

He said the commission had been assured by President Pervez Musharraf and caretaker Prime Minister Mohammadmian Soomro that no government official would be allowed to interfere or dictate anything to the polling staff.

Mr Dilshad also said that the provincial election commissioners and their staff would be accessible to everyone to address complaints.