Low turnout mars polls in cantonments

Four PTI workers arrested for rallying outside polling station in Rawalpindi.

RAWALPINDI/ JHELUM:

Though the local government elections in Rawalpindi cantonments were held in an overall peaceful environment, they were marred by low turnout at a number of polling stations.

The same was reported from other cities of Rawalpindi Division. A total of 158 candidates were in the run on 20 seats in both Rawalpindi cantonments. 215 polling stations were set up in Rawalpindi cantonment for 258,000 voters, and 101 in Chaklala for 125,000 registered voters.

The presiding officer of a polling station in Ward No 3 in Rawalpindi cantonment, who requested anonymity, said voter turnout at the polling station was 25 per cent.

“These elections are symbolic. Nothing is going to change in cantonment areas,” said Khalid Umer, a Gawalmandi resident.

Polling began at 8am and continued till 5pm without break, with soldiers deployed in and around the polling stations.

The army was given magisterial powers to supervise the polling process. Voters were not allowed to carry mobile phones to polling stations.

Most people reportedly stayed put at their homes because of the high temperature, however, at some polling stations turnout also touched the 60 per cent mark.

Voting was interrupted for an hour at the Progressive Public School polling station of ward one in Rawalpindi cantonment after Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) activists complained against an independent candidate who had set up his camp near the polling station.

In another incident, police arrested four workers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) outside FG Higher Secondary School in Westridge for playing party songs and taking out a small rally.

PML-N and PTI workers faced off and chanted slogans outside the polling station but dispersed after the army officials intervened.

Turnout also remained low in two wards in Jhelum cantonment. The three polling stations located outside the cantonment relatively received more voters than those inside the cantonment, mainly due to the hurdles and security checks visitors have to go through to enter the cantonment. In the district, PML-N won both the seats while PTI candidates were runners-up in both wards in Jhelum.

A presiding officer also issued a notice to PML-N Member Punjab Assembly Chaudhry Laal Hussain for interfering in the election process.

Mangla cantonment, where voter turn-out was high, also saw peaceful elections.

Murree Assistant Commissioner Tahir Farooq told The Express Tribune that turnout in Murree cantonment ward-1 was 64.4 per cent. He said pleasant weather was one of the reasons for high voter turnout. The seat was won by PML-N. PTI candidate won the ward-2 unopposed.

Voters for empowered representatives

Locals in many localities, while welcoming the elections after a long interval, called for empowered people’s representatives in cantonment areas.

They urged the army chief to empower the elected representatives in cantonments and devolve more powers from army officers to elected civilian representatives.

“We want that our representatives work for the welfare of the people and that the tax we pay be spent on our welfare,” said Muhammad Sadiq, a voter in Rawalpindi.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 26^th, 2015.