Layyah district: Forlorn citizens say they will not vote

‘We do not think the candidates can do much to solve our problems’

MULTAN: Most residents of Layyah district do not appear to have high hopes from the candidates in the local government election. They say their district is fraught with problems and none of the candidates or political parties have done much to improve the situation. 

Ahsan, a resident of Kehror Lal Eisan, says the area is rife with dysentery and other diseases owing to poor sanitary conditions. From open drains to a lack of sewage system, Ahsan says, none of the elected representatives have done much to ameliorate the situation. “The candidates running for election are no better…most of them are not community leaders, they haven’t done much in terms of mobilising people but they make tall claims about solving all our problems.”

Sadiq, another resident of Kehror Lal Eisan, says their area has heaps of garbage strewn in every street. “None of the candidates have been campaigning around this issue.”

Nadeem Qasim, a resident of Layyah city, says candidates had spent millions on furnishing their election offices and printing posters. “However, they have not uttered a word on a strategy to deal with the problem of lack of sanitation facilities…it’s not just the rural areas that look like pockets of filth, the urban areas are no better.”

Several residents of rural areas around Layyah city have complained of a poor sewerage system, rampant unemployment and lack of educational and health facilities. They say if the money being lavished on posters and election campaigns had been spent on the people they might have warmed up to them.

Most of the residents of Kehror Lal Eisan say they will probably not cast votes because they do not have much faith in the system.

Local election pundits, however, say the candidates fielded by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz is likely to win more seats than independent candidates, even though the independents are being supported by the Gujjar and Seharr biradaris. They say backing of the Gujjars and Seharr biradaris counts for a lot and is imperative to clinch seats. “However, most independents do not have prior experience in politics. They are trying their best to mobilise voters, but people are reluctant to vote for them.”

The chairman-vice chairman panel fielded by the PML-N in union council 32 has been disqualified on orders of the Lahore High Court’s Multan Bench. Chaudhry Arshad, a resident of Layyah city, had filed a writ petition against both candidates saying that the candidate for chairman, previously a government employee, had not completed the two-year stipulated period before running for election.

Layyah district has 0.8 million registered voters and comprises five municipal commitees:  Layyah, Choubara, Kehror Lal Eisan, Fatehpur and Azam Chowk. All arrangements for polling day are complete. The Election Commission of Pakistan has set up 638 polling stations and the training workshops for presiding officers and returning officers have been completed.

Strict security measures have been taken for December 5.

The police have deputed 6,765 cops and rangers at polling stations and more than 2,000 district administration volunteers will assist polling staff.  Police said 25 polling stations had been declared highly sensitive and 125 polling stations had been declared sensitive.

There are 187 candidates running for chairperson.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 3^rd, 2015.