NA 250: Despite hindrances, DHA residents refuse to back down

Facing heat, delayed voting schedules and threats, voters plead to ECP to let voting continue till evening.

BADIN/ KARACHI: For at least two miles outside the closed gates of a DHA School in phase IV – the polling station of Karachi’s NA-250 constituency –   the "aware" voter waits patiently in the sweltering May sun. They share umbrellas with children and the elderly, but refuse to go home till they vote.

Meanwhile, eyewitnesses allege that MQM's unruly youth are chanting slogans and refusing to let people go in. Some supporters are pushing anyone who tries to get ahead. Voters and workers of Jamaat e Islami, PML-N, PTI and PPP stand patiently, with numerous murmurs of a "Naya Pakistan".

Little Tanzal, a handicapped child in a wheelchair with his younger brother, wore a PTI cap and held a bat. "This is our dream. We will vote!" said the eight year old.

At a polling station near Khayaban e Hilal, a VIP lady flanked by guards tried to break the queue but people pushed her back. "This is Naya Pakistan, where we all are equal," they said to her.

"This is our revenge for the last many years of terror and corruption," says Ismat Nazneen, a teacher and a PTI supporter, in queue since 10 am at DHA degree college for women, phase VIII. Nazneen confirmed that ballots arrived around noon.

Talking to the Express Tribune, Ahmad Mustafa, a PTI worker who had just arrived at the Phase VIII college with the ballot boxes in his car, said that "It is all staged. The police says we can't do anything. We have had to fight out for our ballot boxes at the court."

The voters, however, are determined upon voting, with youth volunteers distributing water bottles and encouraging people to stay put in lines. "We don't want to wait another five years. We'd rather wait out today," said an elderly voter, showing her inked thumb.

Meanwhile, a fight broke out at the Khayaban e Shujaat polling station when about 15 armed young men, allegedly belonging to the MQM, tried to intimidate voters.

"The women were very brave. They started yelling for help and other voters came and physically fought them out. Look at my face. I fought at out too, but managed to cast my vote," says Mohsin Mumtaz, a voter, grinning and proudly showing his inked thumb.

"We asked the police to intervene but they said 'Bhai ke banday hain, hum kya kar saktay hai'. They can do what they like. But i can tell you there is no stopping us now. Change has arrived."