ISLAMABAD: As the day of a historic election drew to a close, visits to a number of polling stations and conversations with polling staff in and around the Islamabad/Rawalpindi area seemed to indicate that the turnout had not quite been what could have been hoped for.

The overall turnout in the twin cities was recorded at around 50 per cent, and the number of voters in the urban areas here was said to be lower as compared to the rural areas. In NA-54 (Islamabad), for example, presiding officers said that turnout of voters in the urban areas of the constituency remained between 30pc to 35pc till noon, but was recorded over 48pc in the evening. In the rural areas of the same constituency, the turnout was said to be much higher, in some places rising to 70 per cent. Those exercising their right of franchise included all cross-sections of society, including women, senior citizens, and the youth.

The final turnout, however, will be made available after polling stations’ final results are compiled.

More enthusiasm was apparent in the rural areas

Referring to the fact that fewer voters were visible on Wednesday in Rawalpindi and the Cantonment area as compared to the 2013 polls, some senior politicians blamed the situation on the increased number of polling stations. “This year, a polling station was established for 1,000 votes, so the turnout is less visible,” said one.

In almost all constituencies, polling started at its scheduled time of 8am and in some cases carried on beyond the deadline of 6pm. The Election Commission of Pakistan, on the orders of Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, had allowed all voters who were present inside and outside the polling stations in queues to cast their votes.

The law and order situation remained under control in the twin-city area.

Tauqeer Akbar Raja, presiding officer at Westridge (Rawalpindi), said that polling staff did not entertain requests that votes be allowed to be cast in the absence of original Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs).

At the women’s polling station at Raja Bazaar, only 250 women had cast votes till 3:30pm, of 1,731 registered voters. At the men’s polling station in the same area, only 300 had cast votes out of 1,337 voters. The men’s polling station at the Government Ziaul Islam School had recorded 129 voters till 2:00pm. A very low turnout (till 3pm) was recorded at the women’s polling station at Government Gordon College, Liaquat Road, with only 141 votes cast out of 1,476.

In NA-54, a snapshot of the turnout can be gauged from the following: at a polling station at the Islamabad Model School for Boys in G-9/3, a little over 500 votes were polled against 1,100 registered male voters; and at the Islamabad Model School for Girls at Jhangi Syeddan, 3,103 votes were polled against 4,547 registered votes.

At the Zeshan Ahmed Shaheed School sector I-10/2, Assistant Presiding Officer Syed Amjad Abbas said that till 10am voters were sparse, while at the Ammar Shaheed Model School for Boys in sector G-10/3, Mohammad Yusuf said that 1,067 votes were registered there but by 4pm, only 30pc of the voters had polled their votes.

Meanwhile, in the rural part of NA-53, the overall turnout was at around 60pc, with most of the voters coming during the day. In Union Council (UC) Bhara Kahu, according to presiding officer Mohammad Ishfaq, the turnout was beyond 50pc till 3:30 in the afternoon. In UC Kot Hatyal, too, the turnout was recorded around 60pc, according to the presiding officer. It hovered around the same figure in Satra Meel, Phulgran and Bari Imam, and Malpur.

Taxila and Wah

In some places the turnout was over 60pc but at others, it was below 40pc.

According to ECP staff, a high turnout was reported at polling stations set up at Government High School Sarai Kala Chowk, Shahidabad Wah Cantonment and Government High School Main Taxila Bazaar.

As many as 317 polling stations were set up for 370,938 registered voters for NA-63.

For PP-19 (Taxila-I), there were 192,447 registered voters, while for PP-20 (Taxila-II), the total number of registered voters was 178,491. Here, young people seemed more eager to vote.

Robina Kausar, presiding officer at polling station number 115, said that the number of registered female voters at her polling station was 1,168 but till 5.30pm, only 340 votes had been polled. Similarly, Faisal Shahzad, presiding officer at the Wahdat Colony polling station, said that the number of registered voters at his polling station was 1,068 but till 5.45pm, only 401 votes were polled.

The overall law and order situation remained peaceful, and election candidates had provided transport facilities to the voters.

Additional reporting by Kashif Abbasi, Ikram Junaidi & Amjad Iqbal

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2018