KARACHI, May 18: Commenting on alleged mismanagement during the May 11 general elections in district south, District Returning Officer (south) Shahid Shafiq disclosed on Saturday that miscreants had threatened the polling staff and taken some of them hostage.
The process of delivering election material to the polling stations was not properly handled, as it did not reach a number of polling stations on polling day, the DRO said, adding that he had already brought these incidents as well as other complaints to the notice of the Election Commission of Pakistan.
However, Judge Shafiq said, this time he was monitoring the process himself so that the election stuff was handed over to the presiding officers and transported to the 43 polling stations of NA-250 without any hurdle. He said he along with ECP officials would also visit the polling stations.
“Besides, reserved polling staff and election materials are also available this time round,” he said, while speaking to the media on the premises of the city courts exactly a week after the general elections.
He expressed the hope that the process to deliver the election material to polling stations would be completed by Saturday evening.
Unlike the past, the DRO said, the armed forces were being deployed at the polling stations. He said he had also made a similar request for the May 11 elections.
He dispelled the impression that they [polling staff] were under any threat over holding free and fair re-polling.
Meanwhile, the presiding officers received the election material comprising ballot papers, ballot boxes, stamps, screens and other required stationery from the city courts. A court official, who monitored the May 11 election process, said that the ballot papers, stamps and other stationery had been directly delivered to the presiding officers at the city courts while the ballot boxes and screens had been transported to the polling stations under the supervision of Rangers, police and local administration.
He added that this time two members of court staff had been detailed with each presiding officer carrying the material to the polling stations under the security of paramilitary soldiers and police.
Heavy contingents of army, Rangers and police were deployed in and around the city courts on Saturday while adjacent thoroughfares were partly closed for security purpose.