MULTAN, Feb 9: The Election Commission of Pakistan has set up a polling station for the Feb 18 general election in a private textile mill whose administration is allegedly not allowing the candidates of opposition parties to contact an upward of 2,000 voters living on its premises.

The polling station has been set up on the premises of the Colony Textile Mill, owned by Mughees A. Sheikh, a close relative of City District Nazim Mian Faisal Mukhtar, in Muzaffarabad Union Council No 52. According to information, there are 1,812 male and 562 female voters living in its employees’ colony. Besides, at least 3,500 outsiders will exercise their right to franchise in the constituency as registered voters.

Many hopefuls for NA-151 and PP-199 belonging to opposition parties have alleged that the mill administration is not allowing them to enter the premises for their election campaign.

A PPP candidate for PP-199, Syed Nazim Husain Shah told this correspondent on phone that the mill owner was a close relative of the city district nazim and supporting the PML-Q candidates. “I have no objection to his supporting any party, but denying any rival contender the right to campaign is unjustifiable,” he said, adding that he had tried several times to go for his campaign but he was not allowed to enter.

The establishment of a polling station on the premises of a privately-owned property reeked of the intentions of the government and put a question mark on the neutrality of the ECP, he said. He said he had complained to the district returning officer against the mill administration’s behaviour and was awaiting any response from him. Neither the mill owner nor the city district nazim was available for a comment.