TAXILA: Despite providing free pick and drop facility and offering tea and meals by the candidates, a low turnout was witnessed in the by-polls for NA-63 (Rawalpindi-VII), comprising Taxila and Wah.

The seat was vacated by Minister for Petroleum Ghulam Sarwar Khan.

In the July 25 general elections, the overall turnout in this constituency was 53pc - 52.72pc among female and 63.01pc among male voters.

According to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), there were 370,938 registered voters - 195,223 males and 175,715 females.

To facilitate the voters, the ECP had set up 317 polling stations in various parts of Taxila, Wah and some parts of Rawalpindi.

Contrary to the code of conduct of the ECP, free pick and drop facility was provided to the voters by the candidates.

The voters were also served tea and free meals in the polling camps. However, these facilities failed to lure the voters to come out and cast their votes.

Traditional enthusiasm was seen among the diehard supporters of the two competing parties but the general voters did not take an interest in the by-election.

Supporters of both the PML-N and PTI had set up their camps near the polling stations to provide assistance to their voters.

The candidates also provided free transportation to the voters since the constituency mostly comprises rural areas.

Contrary to the July 25 general elections, the youth were also not seen active outside the polling stations.

No voters were present in polling stations when polling started at 8am. However, at about 10am, the voters started reaching the stations and the situation improved a little and queues were seen at around 1am outside some stations.

An interaction with the polling staff and agents of different political parties by this correspondent showed that 30pc to 35pc votes had polled but the turnout for women was less than the July 25 elections.

Police and security agencies were deployed in and outside the polling stations and army contingents patrolled around the polling stations.

Two cases of brawls between PTI and PML-N activists were reported from Taxila and Wah Cantonment.

Police officials reached the spots and dispersed the activists.

Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan cast his vote at his native village Pind Nowsheri.

Speaking to the media, he said conducting free and fair polls was the moral and national responsibility of the government and it would be ensured.

In reply to a question, he said he missed his archrival former minister for interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and his political lieutenant former member of provincial assembly Haji Umer Farooq.

About the award of the PTI ticket to his son Mansoor Hayat Khan for the by-polls, the minister said no other candidate had filed nomination papers so the party awarded the ticket to his son and there was nothing undemocratic in it.

Published in Dawn, October 15th, 2018