ISLAMABAD, April 28: Some officials of the armed forces and their families have cast their votes ahead of the referendum, Inter-Services Public Relations Directorate officials confirmed to Dawn here on Sunday.

In response to a question, Brig Saulat Raza of ISPR said those officials who were not at their home stations have cast the votes.

According to sources, the ballot papers were taken to some army units in Rawalpindi where the officers were given the option of giving their preference in favour of President Gen Musharraf before April 30.

A similar exercise, the sources said, was conducted in the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission.

Spokesperson Pakistan People’s Party, Farhatullah Babar, said, “I have personally verified with a number of army officials who have cast their votes but for obvious reasons cannot name them.”

The Election Commission’s director public relations, Ghazni Khan, said all public servants and members of the armed forces and their families were given the option of casting their votes by postal ballot.