Strict security, scrutiny slows down voting process

Long queues of voters were seen outside several polling stations in the constituency

LAHORE: Voting for the NA-120 slot, which was vacated after the disqualification of former premier Nawaz Sharif in Panama Papers case, was held amid tight security on Sunday.

Voting process was started at 08:00am and continued till 05:00pm without break. Contrary to normal routine of Lahorites to rise late on Sunday, voters started to form queues outside polling stations since morning to use their right to franchise. Though, there was a great hustle and bustle of voters and supporters of different political parties outside polling stations, several voters complained that vote casting process was sluggish inside polling stations owing to security and strict scrutiny of voters’ credentials.



Speaking to The Express Tribune, a voter Muhammad Awais, who used his right of vote in early hours, pointed out that he had to pass through three layers of security to cast his vote. “I had to show my Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) to four different officials to exercise my right to vote. The whole voting process, including long queues and scrutiny, took little over an hour as officials in the polling stations were also very slow,” he highlighted.

Responding to a question, he said despite hassle of long queues and sluggish performance of the polling staff, he had confidence in voting system at NA-120 by-election. “I did not see any interference of any unauthorised person in polling process. Pakistan Army, Rangers and other law enforcing agencies had made remarkable security arrangements and did not allow anyone to enter in polling stations except the voters,” he underlined.



Similar observations were made by several other voters who expressed confidence in the polling process. However, a few complained that their votes had been transferred to other places. A voter from Sanda, Sultan Khan, said his family was settled in the area for decades but their votes had been transferred from Naseem Park to Shahdara without any reason.

Another citizen, Bashiran Bibi, complained that she had been stopped from casting her vote because their CNIC number was not matching with the number in the voters list. “Voters’ data have been computerised and electronically verified but still citizens have to face such problems. I am unable to understand what is the use of automation and maintaining the world’s biggest citizen database if citizens’ CNIC numbers cannot be matched in two different government documents,” she questioned.

High tempers

Overall polling process in NA-120 remained peaceful except some incidents of minor scuffles among workers and supporters of different political parties. Almost in all areas, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) had established their polling camps adjacent to each other. Workers and supporters of all political parties kept shouting slogans in favour of their leaders and candidates.



However, political activists of PML-N and PTI came face-to-face in Mozang area, Copper Road, Sanda, Bund Road and some other areas over shouting slogans against the rivals’ leaders. In Mozang Chowk a little scuffle was also witnessed among ruling party and PTI workers, but on the intervention of law enforcing agencies, angry activists of both parties dispersed from the scene.

Candidates versions

Candidates and their representatives were also seen roaming in the constituency to monitor voting process. Initially, leaders of all political parties expressed their satisfaction over polling process except PPP’s candidate, Faisal Mir, who expressed his displeasure over the poling process. He alleged that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was tilted towards the ruling party as his party’s polling agents were forcefully being kept out of polling booths. In various areas, even PPP’s polling camps had been removed or relocated by law enforcing agencies.

Speaking to media, PTI’s candidate Dr Yasmin Rashid expressed satisfaction over voting process. She said except enlistment of over 29,000 unverified votes, overall polling process was satisfactory. She urged voters, particularly females, to come out of their house and use their right of vote to save the future of the country and their offspring.

Ruling party’s ministers, MPAs and advisers were also witnessed in the constituency to monitor the polling process.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 18^th, 2017.