Moderate turnout in NA-4

Barring minor scuffles, polling conducted relatively peacefully

PESHAWAR: Residents of NA-4 came out in moderate numbers to vote in the by-polls amid party songs and anthems blaring near each polling. However, they had to check their mobile phones with the security staff before heading into the booths to cast their ballots.

The polls were being held to elect another incumbent of the National Assembly seat which fell vacant after the demise of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MNA Gulzar Khan.

Polling started on time, at 8am, at most polling stations in the constituency. However, there were reports that voting started with a half hour delay at a few polling stations.

The streets, roads, and walls in NA-4 were littered with banners and posters of contesting candidates, readily guiding voters towards polling booths on Thursday. On the way, voters were often greeted by music and party songs screaming from loudspeakers installed by different parties at their camps.

If someone still managed to lose their way, candidates and their supporters patrolling the streets made sure to point lost voters in the right direction.

Supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Awami National Party (ANP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) could be spotted from a mile away decked out in party paraphernalia and even personalised fashion accessories such as caps, badges and buttons displaying pictures of their party’s candidates.



Some could be found dancing to the rhythm of party songs near camps. The Jamat-e-Islami (JI) trucks could be easily identified through the liberal use of party flags adorning it, accompanied by larger-than-life portraits of its chief Sirajul Haq. For those failing to recognise the visuals, they could easily identify the trucks from the music-less anthems playing from it.

The camps of the contentious religious party — Milli Muslim League— were eerily silent.

Moderate turnout

Officials said that overall voter turnout was close to 30 per cent, dominated by men.

Even though the government had declared a local holiday in the area, voters came out in two waves – early in the morning and later in the evening.

Moreover, long queues of voters were seen at polling stations in Badhaber, Chamkani, Mashoogagar, Nisar Killay, Deh Bahadur and other areas.

However, at some polling stations in Chuho Gujjar, and at a Government Primary School in Chamkani saw few voters. Voters also queued up at food stalls near polling stations, lining up for fresh kebabs, samosas, popcorn and french fries. They also rushed to cold drinks stalls selling sugarcane and fresh fruit juices to stave off the heat.

‘Leave your cell phones’

As voters lined up outside polling stations, particularly men, police and army personnel told voters to leave their cell phones outside the station.

“No one is allowed to take their mobile phone inside the polling station,” a police official announced at a polling station in the Government Shaheed Muzamil Higher Secondary School Chamkani.

Police officials subsequently started frisking voters for cell phones and weapons before allowing them to enter a polling station.

With army officials deployed outside polling stations, nobody dared to cause any disturbance either inside or outside the polling station.

The army also banned the entry of cameras – including those carried by the media —  while reporters were not allowed to enter polling stations with cell phones.

Political parties were told to set their camps at a distance from polling stations to prevent congestion near the polling station.

Despite the difficulty, the polling process remained smooth throughout the day.

Boys will be boys

While the polling process was largely peaceful with not a single incident of firing reported during polling hours, there were a few minor scuffles between political parties and their supporters.

In Chamkani, a few teenagers scuffled with each other. PML-N and ANP supporters nearby tried to separate the quarrelling teens but instead they got dragged into the melee and they squared off — but eventually, the political rivals only traded some colourful words with each other.

Political agents of candidates complained about the undue strictness of army personnel at polling stations since some agents were asked to have their authority letters stamped by their respective candidates.

Despite that complaint, most said that they were happy with the overall polling process.

Since most the areas where polling was going on fell in the south- and south-east of the city, there were no traffic jams in the city.

However, there was a traffic congestion on Kohat Road in the evening and nearby areas when polling drew to a close.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 27^th, 2017.