February 19, 2008	Tuesday	Safar 11, 1429

KARACHI, Feb 18: Peaceful polling amid a low voter turnout was witnessed on Monday in the five National Assembly (NA) and 10 Provincial Assembly (PS) constituencies of the defunct District Central, where the voting pattern indicates that the candidates of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) will emerge victorious.

The former District Central has always been considered an MQM stronghold and comprises NA-243, 244, 245, 246 and 247. The district also covers 10 Provincial Assembly constituencies (PS-98 to PS-107).

The process of casting votes started 20 to 30 minutes after the official 8am kick-off time in many polling stations in the District Central constituencies. Presiding officers told Dawn that the delay in polling was due to the absence of polling agents of the contesting candidates. They said that except for the polling agents of the MQM’s candidates, no one turned up from the other contestants’ side and they had no other option but to seal the ballot boxes and start polling at 8.30 or 8.35am.

The turnout was very low in the morning due to fears of terrorism and violence, but the situation started improving in the afternoon when voters came out from their homes to exercise their right of adult franchise. In some localities long queues of voters —including females — were also seen. Police and Rangers were deployed at the gates of the polling stations to avert any untoward incident.

Roads wore a deserted look and only vehicles belonging to the candidates of different contesting parties were seen bringing voters from their homes to the polling stations.

Despite fielding its candidates from the constituencies concerned, the Pakistan People’s Party did not erect camps close to the polling stations to guide voters and in the majority of the localities, the MQM was the only party whose workers were sitting at the camps and guiding people.

However, a camp of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) candidate Maulana Hafiz Shahjehan Kiyani, who was contesting the election from PS-103, was erected near Abdullah College, North Nazimabad in NA-245 constituency, where a teenager was seen guiding people. The rush of people was, however, seen at the camp of the MQM candidates on NA-245, Farhat Mohammad Khan, and Dr Mohammad Ali Shah on PS-103.

The situation at the Ibrahim Ali Bhai School and Board of Intermediate Education Karachi (BIEK) in NA-245 was entirely different as a large number of voters were seen at the camps of PPP candidate Qazi Mohammad Bashir, who also enjoys the support of the Awami National Party (ANP). The MQM workers were seen sitting idle at their camps.

The presiding officer at one of the four polling stations established in the Ibrahim Ali Bhai School told Dawn that the turnout was low as till 12.30pm, only 48 votes out of the total 439 in booth no 1 were cast. “Polling started on time in the presence of polling agents of the PPP and MQM candidates, but the first voter came here at 8.15am,” he said.

“The turnout is not very good here. About five per cent of women voters reached the polling station and around 25 per cent of male voters have cast their votes so far,” said another presiding officer at the BIEK polling station at about 12.45pm. The number of registered male and female voters at the polling station was 980 and 666 respectively. “Most of the voters are Pakhtuns living in Pahar Ganj, Umar Farooq Colony. They are very conservative and the first female vote was cast at about 11am,” he added.

Media barred

Seven polling stations were established at the Shipowners College, all of which were declared sensitive. Rangers were seen checking the national identity cards of the voters before allowing them to enter the premises. Reporters were, however, barred by a policeman and a presiding officer from entering the polling booths to perform their professional duties.

This reporter was told that the media could not enter the polling booth as a late night order from the Election Commission had been issued in this regard. City police chief Niaz Ahmed Siddiqui confirmed to Dawn that the media could not be allowed entry inside the polling stations.

At another polling station in NA-243, from where the MQM’s Abdul Waseem and PPP’s Zafar Ahmed Siddiqui were contesting the elections, polling started on time but the turnout was not impressive as 110 votes were cast at one of the polling booths, where the total number of voters was 550. Camps of both the PPP and MQM were erected but the rush of people was witnessed at the MQM camp.

There was no polling agent of any contestant except the MQM’s candidates in the majority of the polling stations in NA-244, 246 and 247, from where the MQM’s Shaikh Salahuddin, Sufyan Yousuf and Dr Nadim Ahsan were in the run respectively.

At the Govt Girls Pilot School in Nazimabad No 3 in NA-247, only 21 votes out of 415 at polling booth no 1 were cast till 11.10am.

Polling started at 8.35am at the Govt Muslim School in Block 15, Federal B Area in NA-246 due to the absence of the PPP’s polling agents. At 9am, 24 votes were cast out of 371 at one of the booths of the polling station.

At the polling station in APWA College, Karimabad, a presiding officer refused to divulge the number of votes polled till 4.30pm or any other details. He was looking anxious with the presence of the media at his polling station. Besides the MQM polling agents, no polling agent of any other party was present.

The MQM’s candidates had grabbed all of the national and provincial assembly seats in the former District Central with a convincing margin in the 2002 general elections. This time round, the PPP fielded its candidates on all the constituencies to face the MQM.

The number of total registered voters in NA-243 is 333,290, including 194,548 male and 138,742 females. A total of 210 polling stations were established in the said constituency, which covers the North Karachi area. The constituency also covers two Provincial Assembly seats – PS-98 and 99. Six candidates were in the electoral fray on NA-243.

NA-244 consists of FB Area (part), North Karachi (part), New Karachi (part) and the number of total registered voters is 290,891, including 157,867 male and 133,024 females. The Election Commission established 172 polling stations for male and female voters in the constituency, which covers PS-100 and 102. Five candidates were contesting elections from NA-244.

The area falling within NA-245 is North Nazimabad, including all the shanty towns and parts of Nazimabad. The total number of registered voters in the constituency is 344,004, including 184,802 male voters and 159,202 female voters. A total of 187 polling stations were set up in the constituency, where elections were also held on three PS seats – PS-98 (part), 101 and 103. The number of contestants in NA-245 is five.

In NA-246, where the MQM headquarters Nine Zero is located, the total number of voters is 310,045, including 165,073 male and 144,972 females. The areas included in the constituency are FB Area and parts of Liaquatabad. A total of 203 polling stations were established in the constituency, which covers PS-105 and 106. Three candidates were in the run here.

NA-247 was the last constituency of the defunct District Central, where the total number of registered voters is 303,455, including 166,134 male and 137,321 female voters. The number of total polling stations in the constituency is 154, where polling was also held for PS-104 and 107. It comprises Liaquatabad, Nazimabad and Gulbahar areas. Five candidates were contesting election on NA-247.