NA-19, Haripur: PML-N leads amid low voter turnout
By-poll conducted amid stringent security measures
A file photo of a woman casting her vote. PHOTO: ONLINE
HARIPUR:
Contrary to the hype created by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in the run up to the NA-19, Haripur by-polls, voter turnout remained extremely low on Sunday.
Although tight security arrangements were made, most of the 577,480 electorates of the constituency chose to stay home on the weekly holiday. Haripur has hardly seen measures of this scale in the past. Over 18,000 officials from the FC, police and security forces walked the streets of the district that remained largely peaceful. A few scuffles were reported from Mohallah Railway Station, Shah Maqsood and Khalabat Township.
This was the second time since 2013 general elections that they were asked to decide their Lower House representative, thanks to the litigation between PTI’s Dr Raja Amir Zaman and PML-N’s Omar Ayub Khan.
Both parties tried tooth and nail to boost their election campaigns by sending top-tier leaders to attend meetings. However, the voters did not reciprocate the fervour as the turnout hovered between 25 to 30%.
“People appeared to have lost interest after repeated voting exercises,” said a schoolteacher, Zia Ahmed.
Where did all the women go?
Women polling stations witnessed a lesser voter turnout as compared to the ones reserved for men. The polling station at Government Girls Postgraduate College had 1,270 registered voters out of which only 100 had turned up by afternoon. Similarly, Government Primary School No 1 witnessed only 245 out of the total 900 men voters while 99 out of the 553 women voters cast ballots. Meanwhile, Government High School for Boys No 1 and No 2, Mohallah Railway Station, T&T Colony, Panian, Kot Najibullah, Kangra, Pandak and Khalabat Township witnessed a voter turnout between 45 to 50%. Women voters at 21 polling stations of Nara Amazai union council were hardly interested and only a few arrived during the day.
Pakistan Peoples Party candidate Tahir Qureshi said, “I have hardly found any mismanagement or rigging.”
PML-N candidate Babar Nawaz Khan said the voters have prevented the K-P government from meddling with the polling process.
According to unofficial results from 126 polling stations, Babar secured 48,298 votes while Amir followed with 22,998.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 17th, 2015.
Contrary to the hype created by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in the run up to the NA-19, Haripur by-polls, voter turnout remained extremely low on Sunday.
Although tight security arrangements were made, most of the 577,480 electorates of the constituency chose to stay home on the weekly holiday. Haripur has hardly seen measures of this scale in the past. Over 18,000 officials from the FC, police and security forces walked the streets of the district that remained largely peaceful. A few scuffles were reported from Mohallah Railway Station, Shah Maqsood and Khalabat Township.
This was the second time since 2013 general elections that they were asked to decide their Lower House representative, thanks to the litigation between PTI’s Dr Raja Amir Zaman and PML-N’s Omar Ayub Khan.
Both parties tried tooth and nail to boost their election campaigns by sending top-tier leaders to attend meetings. However, the voters did not reciprocate the fervour as the turnout hovered between 25 to 30%.
“People appeared to have lost interest after repeated voting exercises,” said a schoolteacher, Zia Ahmed.
Where did all the women go?
Women polling stations witnessed a lesser voter turnout as compared to the ones reserved for men. The polling station at Government Girls Postgraduate College had 1,270 registered voters out of which only 100 had turned up by afternoon. Similarly, Government Primary School No 1 witnessed only 245 out of the total 900 men voters while 99 out of the 553 women voters cast ballots. Meanwhile, Government High School for Boys No 1 and No 2, Mohallah Railway Station, T&T Colony, Panian, Kot Najibullah, Kangra, Pandak and Khalabat Township witnessed a voter turnout between 45 to 50%. Women voters at 21 polling stations of Nara Amazai union council were hardly interested and only a few arrived during the day.
Pakistan Peoples Party candidate Tahir Qureshi said, “I have hardly found any mismanagement or rigging.”
PML-N candidate Babar Nawaz Khan said the voters have prevented the K-P government from meddling with the polling process.
According to unofficial results from 126 polling stations, Babar secured 48,298 votes while Amir followed with 22,998.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 17th, 2015.