KARACHI, Dec 10: Polling in the by-election on two Sindh Assembly seats — PS-117 Karachi-XXIX and PS-120 Karachi-XXXII — was held on Saturday.

Except for a few minor incidents at some polling stations, the polling remained by and large peaceful. However, Rashid Rabbani, a leader of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy, accused the administration and election commission of partiality which, he claimed, had turned the entire exercise into a farce.

Mr Rabbani was addressing a press conference along with the ARD candidates for PS-117 Pir Abdul Rashid and PS-120 Waseem Ahmad Alvi after the polling was over. He said that some of their polling agents had not been allowed to enter and sit in the polling stations whereas some others had been forced out of their stations.

Chief election Commissioner Justice (r) Abdul Hameed Dogar, who paid surprise visits to over two dozen polling stations in both the constituencies issued on the spot orders when complaints of discrepancies, partiality and interference by outsiders were made to him.

Justice Dogar was accompanied by Provincial Election Commissioner Ahmed Ali Halepota and EC members Justice Nasim Sikandar, Justice Ahmad Khan Lashari, Justice Sadiq Hussain Leghari; as well as DRO Zafar Ahmad Sherwani and other officials.

The polling started at 8am and continued till 5pm without any break.

The two main rivals, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) had set up separate election camps at all polling stations to guide voters. However, no rush or queues were witnessed at any polling station.

At one such station, set up in the Al-Rehman Academy, Al-Falah Society, the first of 854 voters on the roll cast his vote at 11.15am whereas at the ladies booth in the station, not a single vote was cast. The number of women voters was 721.

At the GBSS School in Green Town, 46 male and 17 female votes were cast till noon out of the total 1,425 votes on the roll.

At the polling stations set up in the Government Bilal School, Rifah-i-Aam Society, Malir Halt, only 316 votes were cast in male booths and 112 in ladies booths, as against the total strength of 1,705, till 2pm.

In PS-117, the polling station established in the Public Girls School, Soldier Bazaar, only 8 votes were cast in male booths and two votes in the female booth No-1 until 3pm.

At the polling station set up in the Aga Khan School, Garden, 73 votes were cast in male booth no.1 and 116 in booth no.2 at about 3:30pm.

When the CEC visited this polling station, some people complained to him about bogus voting having been resorted to by certain elements in the ladies booth. The CEC ordered immediate action.

Earlier, the Returning Officer concerned Ashraf Tar Mohammad had confiscated some bogus ballot papers and the report was submitted to DRO Sherwani, who ordered arrest of the SHO, a polling officer and a presiding officer, for their alleged involvement in rigging.

According to judicial magistrate, when he visited the booth no. 2 of the women polling station at 10am, he was informed that 200 votes had already been cast. He said he was surprised to know this because it was simply not possible. When he checked the book, he found evidences of bogus votes.

Accordingly, the CEC got prepared a video of the evidences produced by the officials concerned and ordered that the record of the polling station be sealed off.

Later, talking to a group of journalists, Justice Dogar expressed his satisfaction over the turnout of voters in the by-election, and pointed out that the polling was held in a peaceful atmosphere. He said that no complaints by any candidate were received.

By-election on PS-106 was also to be held under the original schedule of the Election Commission but following withdrawal of his rival candidates, the MQM candidate for this seat had returned unopposed.

Along with the polling for two provincial assembly seats, by-election on the National Assembly seat, NA-210 Jacobabad-III, was also held on Saturday.