MIANWALI: Female voters are not traditionally allowed to use their right to franchise in the union council of Paikhel but this time around on Thursday, a rumour worked in favour of women and the contesting candidates brought them to the polling stations in the last three hours of the polling for casting votes.

Somebody had spread the rumour that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had decided to hold re-election in any union council where 20 percent women votes were not cast. When the contesting candidates heard this rumour, they got concerned and unanimously decided to let their female voters come out of homes. As a result, women cast their votes hurriedly in last three hours of the polling.

A similar rumour worked in UC-24 Thameywali where shifting of polling station seven kilometer away from the village Thameywali had resulted against the casting of votes by female voters.

Meanwhile, two rival groups had an exchange of fire at village Mari in UC-22. As a result Ex-Nazim Syed Ulfat Shah received a bullet injury.

Published in Dawn, November 20th, 2015