February 19, 2008	Tuesday	Safar 11, 1429

SARGODHA, Feb 18: Although the fear factor reigned supreme in the low turnout, the faulty voters’ lists and the establishment of polling stations in distant places also contributed to it.

Though the polling started well in time in the Sargodha district, the turnout at the end of the day was very poor.

The Sargodha district has five constituencies of national and 11 of provincial assembly, but the turnout was not more than 30 per cent in urban areas while it was around 40 per cent in rural areas.

Women of NA-64 constituency remained deprived of their right to franchise in the current elections as well. Since 1970, there has been a mutual understanding between all clans in the constituency that women will not be allowed to cast their votes.

Even the male voters stayed away from balloting in protest in polling station No 102 (Kalas Sharif) of NA-64. They said that they would cast their votes only if the successful candidate first established in their village a girls middle school, a dispensary, a proper sewerage system and provision of gas facility.

An armed clash between two rival groups was reported in NA-68 constituency in Shergarh village. One Naeem Meikan created a panic in Chak 7 when he resorted to firing that badly affected the overall turnout. Some incidents of scuffles were also reported.

In NA-66, about two dozen girls were handed over to the Satellite Town police on the charge of attempting to cast bogus votes. The bogus NICs, they said, were prepared in the house of a provincial assembly candidate.

Two assistant presiding officers, Shaista Khan and Shaista Perveen, of the DPS School were absent from the polling station set up in tents in Aziz Bhatti Town providing an ample opportunity of rigging to PML-Q supporters.

Another reason for the low turnout was the fact that the Jamaat-i-Islami had threatened to set up boycott camps near each polling station.

GUJRANWALA: The turnout remained low mainly due to the fear of terrorism while workers of political parties had to make struggle to bring voters to polling stations.

The situation was quite disappointing during the first two hours of polling, but it gradually improved as to the results of efforts of political workers.

To win over the sympathy, candidates served meal and cold drinks to voters at their election camps.

PML-N central leader Ghulam Dastagir Khan cast his vote in Gujranwala city while PML-Q leader Chaudhry Hamid Nasir Chattha in his hometown in Ahmad Nager.

SIALKOT: The confusion in voters’ lists remained the main problem in almost all the polling stations, especially women, in Sialkot, Daska, Bhopalwala, Sambrial, Uggoki, Badiana, Pasrur, Satrah and the surrounding areas.

Polling agents of all the mainstream political parties complained that copies of voters’ lists provided to them were entirely different from the ones made available to the polling staff. Therefore, they said that a large number of women voters could not cast their votes.

Four armed motorcyclists snatched over 200 ballot papers from the polling staff of a male polling station in Nakwal Prel village (NA-114-Sialkot V), Pasrur tehsil.

TOBA TEK SINGH: A heavy turnout of voters was seen in urban areas, but it was low in rural areas.

Long queues were witnessed outside polling stations in the city areas. Around 40 per cent votes were cast in NA-93 and PP-86 constituencies. All the three major political parties arranged vehicles for their voters to carry them to polling stations.

Sources said that supporters of rich candidates remained busy in buying voters.

On the complaint of PML-N candidate Mian Muhammad Rafiq, a polling station door in Mauza Chontra Sargana, which opened into the house of a PML-Q supporter, was locked by the district returning officer. However, the polling had to suspend for some three hours.

GUJRAT: The turnout remained low in all the four national assembly constituencies of the district. Dismally low was the participation of the women voters. In rural areas, the turnout was slightly better.

Supporters of political parties said the fear factor had kept the voters away from polling stations.

RAHIM YAR KHAN: The turnout in urban areas remained 15 to 20 per cent while in rural areas 30 to 35 per cent.

Except for some minor clashes, the polling was conducted in a peaceful atmosphere in the district.

In two polling stations of Chaks 92 and 97 (NA-196), the polling started at 11am because the polling staff had been issued ballot papers of a Bahawalpur constituency.

MIANWALI: Except for few incidents of brawl among supporters of different candidates, the polling process remained peaceful.

The turnout in urban areas remained dismally low due to the constant presence of terror fear in the minds of the people.

As usually, the people of Paikhel union council continued their tribal tradition of not allowing the women to cast votes. About 4,000 women have been registered in this union council.

Similarly, the Awans of Chakrala also did not allow their women to exercise their right to vote.

KHANEWAL: Firing incidents and minor scuffles on casting of bogus votes were reported from a few polling stations in the district.

DPO Shahid Hanif claimed that police had arrested a person and recovered from him illegal arms in Nawanshehr area in Kabirwala.