ISLAMABAD, April 30: Information Minister Nisar Memon said on Tuesday that turnout in the referendum was “beyond our expectations” as silent majority had come out to cast its votes.

He told a press conference that in the last general election only 16 per cent votes had been polled which was interpreted as heavy mandate. He said that was the minimum target they had in mind. But, he pointed out, the turnout in referendum was at least double of the votes polled in the last general election.

He said the polling remained very smooth and was conducted in an orderly manner. No untoward incident was reported from any part of the country, he added. The minister said that large numbers of people had come out to poll their votes all over the country, including the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

“At some polling stations,” he pointed out, “even the ballot papers ran out.” Mr Memon said that he had seen long queues of people at some polling stations.

Referring to the boycott call given by the opposition parties, he said they stayed at home and did not try to disrupt the voting process.

The minister disputed an ARD’s (Alliance for Restoration of Democracy) claim that people had rejected President Pervez Musharraf by boycotting the referendum. All the critical questions by the press were either parried by the minister or he ridiculed these.

In reply to a question that in most of the government departments employees had been forced to cast their votes which was rigging, Mr Memon asked the questioner: “Which political party you belong to?”

In reply to another question whether the 50 per cent concession on electricity bills for Mustahqeen-i-Zakat of Karachi, which was announced by President Musharraf at his public meeting on Sunday, was not a discrimination, the minister said the president had been evenhanded and had not discriminated against any region or province.