KARACHI: It could be termed the dullest election day of the city’s traditionally rich electoral history with voter turnout as low as barely 11 and nine per cent when residents of Azizabad and PIB Colony went to the polls to cast vote in by-elections for PS-106 and 117 on Thursday.

At most of the polling stations security personnel and polling staff outnumbered voters whose number did not show any improvement even by the close of voting hours.

The administration had taken tight security measures for the day but below par arrangements by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and frequent power outages inconvenienced the polling staff and the few voters who had bothered to queue up before the polling stations to use their democratic right.

The provincial assembly seats PS-106 and PS-117 had fallen vacant after Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) lawmakers Iftikhar Alam and Dr Saghir Ahmed quit the party and the seats to join the former city mayor Mustafa Kamal-led Pak Sarzameen Party.

The voter turnout was much lower than even the ‘expectations’ of contesting parties in both the constituencies, which had traditionally remained strongholds of the MQM. The party which happened to be the only one to actively campaign for votes failed to convince voters to come out of their homes and cast vote.

In Martin Quarters area where a polling station was set up in a government school, only 121 votes were cast by 4pm out of more than 2,100 registered votes.

A voter Shahab Siddiq standing in queue for his turn said he could not convince other four voters of his family to cast vote. “First it’s a little hot out here and people prefer to stay home,” said Mr Siddiqi who is a senior faculty member at a private university.

“Then obviously people are gradually losing interest in the electoral process. They believe it is not going to change anything but I feel differently,” he said.

The people’s lack of interest aside, below par arrangements by the ECP also made the process inconvenient for those who still believe in the democratic process.

The polling stations No37 and 38 were set up in tents pitched on a main road at the eleventh hour after it was learnt the school designated by the ECP to house the polling stations was under construction.

In Azizabad, the polling staff complained of frequent power breakdown despite assurance by the ECP that uninterrupted power supply would be ensured on the polling day.

“Secondly, you have set up a polling station but you don’t care about the staff. There is no drinking water neither there is a toilet facility for women,” said Naseema Khalid, a polling staffer at the Government Comprehensive Higher Secondary School Azizabad.

At majority of the polling stations, the number of security personnel and ECP staff outnumbered the voters.

Despite polling staff’s complaints, director general (admin) of the ECP Abbass Ali Khan showed ‘satisfaction’ over the arrangements after visiting the polling stations.

“The turnout is dismally low but it’s not our issue. The overall arrangements are fine and police and Rangers have been quite helpful to keep the process peaceful and smooth in both the constituencies,” he said.

Meanwhile, re-election for PS-22 (Naushahro Feroze) which was held on the orders of the Supreme Court concluded in a smooth manner on Thursday.

The apex court ordered the re-election over an application field by PML-N’s Arif Mustafa Jatoi against PPP candidate Abdul Sattar Rajper who had won the seat in the general elections. According to unofficial results of 75 polling stations, PPP’s Rajper was ahead with 28,970 votes against Jatoi’s 22,490 votes.

Published in Dawn, June 3rd, 2016