June 26, 2008	Thursday	Jamadi-us-Sani 21, 1429

RAWALPINDI, June 25: Voters go to the polls on Thursday to elect two members to the National Assembly from NA-55 and NA-52 constituencies being contested by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), Pakistan Aman Party (PAP), Awami Muslim League (AML) and some independent candidates, all promising a new era for Rawalpindi district.

Political observers do not expect a large turn out of voters after the PML-N leader Mian Nawaz Sharif has been disqualified from contesting a by-election in Lahore by the high court there.

Rawalpindi voters would cast votes in 312 polling stations in NA-52 while there are 250 polling stations in NA-55. Polling will start at 8am and continue till 5pm without any break.

Local police have made security arrangements on the occasion in view of the frayed political nerves and the prevailing threat of terrorism in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

A little over 6,500 policemen would be deployed to maintain security as the jurisdictions of 77 police stations have been declared as sensitive areas. Most of them are located in NA-52.

PPP has not fielded any candidate and is supporting the PML-N in both the constituencies. The PML-N vote bank in NA-55 got divided after the party ticket was taken back from Ijaz Khan Jazi and given to Haji Pervez Khan.

Mr Jazi and his supporters protested the decision and he refused to withdraw in favour of Mr Khan. He is now contesting the NA-55 seat as an independent to the embarrassment of the PML-N leadership.

Others in the field in NA-55 include Begum Nasim Ali (AML) and Gulzar Awan (PAP). Begum Ali is a candidate of the party launched by former railway minister Sheikh Rashid after breaking away from the PML-Q while Mr Awan claims to be fighting the election to break the hold of “clan politics”.

The contest in NA-52 presents an interesting tussle between PML-Q leader and former Advisor to Chief Minister Punjab Raja Nasir and PML-N leader Capt (retired) Mohammed Safdar, who is son-in-law of Nawaz Sharif.

Throughout his campaign Raja Nasir called his rival “an outsider” who could not solve the problems of the Potohar area as a son of the soil like himself would.

In the February 18 general elections Raja Nasir had polled 56,000 votes against the 91,000 of the winner, PML-N leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan. Residents of the two constituencies being contested feel that disgust with the squabbling politics and the scorching hot summer would keep most of the voters at home.

“We voted with great zeal last time but don’t see any change in the system. Since the politicians we elected have brought no relief to us, we don’t expect much from a new round of election. Why should we waste our time?” sneered some teachers standing outside Gordon College.

They predicted to Dawn that the turn out would be low as the voters had not been mobilised by the candidates.