Lazy day at urban UCs as voters stay away from party camps

Published December 1, 2015
Polling staff unseals a ballot box to begin counting of votes in Islamabad on Monday. — Photo by Tanveer Shahzad
Polling staff unseals a ballot box to begin counting of votes in Islamabad on Monday. — Photo by Tanveer Shahzad

ISLAMABAD: Polling agents posted to facilitate voters outside the polling station in Margalla Girls College, Sector F-7, had nothing to do all day as most voters did not bother coming to the camps.

Most of the men at the PML-N camp soaked up the sun, while the PTI camp a few yards away was abuzz with activity and lively discussions. Young men and women brandishing laptops and smartphones swarmed the polling station, but the camp itself mostly remained idle during polling hours.

“One reason is that the residents of these upscale areas rarely come out to vote in large numbers and those who do already know their block codes etc,” said Mohammad Shakeel, a PML-N worker. “Most of the voters who came here asked us to look after their cars,” he said with a grimace.

The PTI camp received an unusual complaint from a senior citizen, who walked to the camp after casting her vote specifically to tell them that the party should arrange wheelchairs to help the elderly and special people to cast their votes.


Police personnel made to remove election material near polling stations; high turnout in urban slums


“There are around 690 votes in this polling station and we are expecting a turnout of around 40 per cent,” said Raza Khan, a PTI worker. He expressed confidence that his party would easily win from that polling station in UC-28.

Both predictions came true; as 282 votes were polled at the polling station and the PTI candidate returned victorious from there.

Things were also quite calm on UC-25 in Sector F-6, where the only hassle faced by political workers at the camps was the complaints by residents about illegally parked cars.

But in contrast, the atmosphere at the polling station catering to the slum areas in F-6 a few streets away was completely different.

Both the 100 Quarters Colony in UC-25 and France Colony in UC-28 wore a festive look, with more people turning out to vote here than at other polling stations.

There are 2,556 registered votes in 100 Quarters and around 1,500 (or 59 per cent) cast their vote. Similarly, of the 2,600 votes registered at France Colony, 1,600 voters (or 61 per cent) exercised their right to franchise.

To contain hooliganism and restrain motorcycle riders from speeding through the crowded alleys and streets, law enforcement personnel were on hand around the Islamabad Model School for Boys in F-6, the polling station that housed the slum vote.

Frontier Constabulary personnel posted in G-7/1 had to carry out a mock baton charge to disperse a crowd that had blocked the road.

“Two people were arguing but more than 20 others gathered around them and there was hooting from all sides,” said a police officer posted there.

He added, “As soon as the FC came, whistling and waving their batons in the air, everybody ran off.”

But the job of security wasn’t all as glamorous everywhere. Early on Monday morning, police officials could be seen removing banners, flags and stickers from outside polling stations in Sector I-8.

A police official busy removing banners told Dawn that police officials received instructions to remove these banners because under the rules, such material could not be displayed near polling stations.

“The ECP should have instructed the Capital Development Authority (CDA) or some other department to remove these banners. Our job is to provide security, not to go around removing banners,” he said.

Complaints

There was the usual milieu of complaints around election material. In certain polling stations, there were complaints of defective stamp pads and improper stamps.

Rights activist Tauseef Ahmed, who polled his vote on Monday, told Dawn that even though local bodies elections were held in Islamabad after a long time, the ECP did not bother to guide voters on how they should vote or even how to fold the ballot paper.

“I reached the polling station at 9:30am. I was given six ballots with the names of the candidates and the signs allotted to them. There were different coloured ballots for various positions, but none of the ballots told me for what position the ballot was meant. The least ECP could’ve done was to paste instructions in the booth where people stamped their ballot papers,” he said.

He said that despite having been on the ECP website, he never saw those instructions. “What about those who can’t even use the internet,” he asked.

“I wanted to fulfil my national responsibility, but not a single person told me about his panel, so I ended up voting not for a panel, but people contesting under the banner of big parties,” he said.

“I have been hearing that UC members will be powerless in Islamabad. So this only increased my ambivalence; why would I make such an effort to vote for someone who won’t be able to address my issues,” he said.

Published in Dawn, December 1st, 2015

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