PESHAWAR, Aug 18: Mismanagement and lack of coordination among relevant departments affected local government elections in various union councils of Peshawar city district. One glaring example of negligence was that election symbols of a number of contestants were missing from the ballot papers.

In some union councils, polling could not be held until 10am because the election staff had not received ballot papers.

The absence of election symbols from ballot papers left many voters confused. Candidates called for suspension of polling and demanded that ballots carrying all symbols be provided to them.

The overall law and order situation remained calm but there were sporadic incidents of clashes and scuffles between supporters of rival candidates and snatching of ballot papers from the election staff.

The turnout was not large in urban and semi-urban areas of the district, in the participation of women in the polling was nominal.

At various female polling stations in the rural areas the turnout was nil.

A big rush was seen outside many polling stations and supporters of candidates plastered their neighbourhoods with posters, banners and elections symbols of the candidates.

Election observers from Japan, Canada and other countries visited various polling stations in the city and other districts of the province and witnessed the polling process.

The crisis management cell of the police department confirmed that sporadic incidents of aerial firing had been reported from Qaidabad, Gunj, Asia and Sheikabad union councils, while FIRs had been registered against many contestants. But there were no reports of mishaps, said an official at the CMC.

The district coordination officer in Peshawar, Shahjehan Akhunzada, complained about lack of support from the police and other concerned departments, saying that he had informed the chief election commissioner about the situation.

“Police and other agencies did not cooperate with the election staff and security arrangements were not up to the mark,” Mr Akhunzada told Dawn.

He said that the election staff had not been provided transport facilities due to which polling started late in various union councils.

“I have brought the whole situation to the notice of the chief election commissioner and requested him to deploy troops immediately,” he said.

Officials said that polling was suspended at various polling stations in Kakshal, Bhana Mari, Jehangirpura, Science Superior College, Begum Shahabuddin School and Asia Gate due to minor clashes and scuffles among the supporters of various candidates.

Polling could not take place at three polling stations in the city because ballot papers did not carry election symbols of minority candidates.

At Sheikabad union council, three contestants - Saeedur Rehman, Shams-ur-Rehman and Haji Inam Afridi — boycotted polling and their supporters held a demonstration at Gulbahar chowk. The protesters closed the road for more than an hour and the police resorted to light baton-charge to disperse them.

The three candidates complained that their rival Jan Alam, a PPP (Sherpao) backed candidate, was polling bogus votes and accused the police of partisan behaviour.