Islamabad Many incidents of mismanagement and tensions were witnessed during the federal capital’s first-ever local body elections on Monday. At many polling stations, the balloting began behind schedule due to the delayed arrival of the election staff. Noted among them were those set up at government schools in I-8/3, Golra, Muslim Colony, F-11, Jhangi Syedan and Rawal Town. The guards at these polling stations asked voters to go home and return after sometime. However, the polling time was later extended there to make up for the delay. At various polling stations of UC-33, UC-27 and UC-19, voters complained the ink pads given to them for creating thumb impression on ballot papers were dried up. The election staff tried in vain to refresh such pads by adding water in absence of spare pads and ink bottles. At a Muslim Colony polling station, some ‘voters’ had protested denial of the right to franchise as they’re stopped by the police at the entrance. At a polling station of Union Council 30, PML-N leader Zafar Ali Shah had heated exchanges with PTI polling agents, who insisted the former had cast his vote without showing computerised national identity card, a must for participation in the electoral exercise under the Election Commission of Pakistan rules. However, the presiding officer of the constituency rejected the claim and said the PML-N leader was allowed to cast vote only after he produced his CNIC. The PML-N workers protested the visit of local PTI MNA Asad Umar to a UC-30 polling station in the city insisting the lawmaker was busy canvassing for the party candidate. Declaring the visit against the ECP rules, they shouted slogans and demanded an immediate halt to polling. The MNA was quick to leave the premises after shaking hands with party activists and supporters. Islamabad Capital Territory assistant commissioner Waqas Rashid seized scores of cellphones from political agents and other people at various polling stations of rural Islamabad for illegal use during the local body elections. The use of mobile phone during the polling was restricted by the ECP. Of these cellphones, 26 were seized in UC-22, 13 in UC-6 and 18 in UC-12, all located on the outskirts of Islamabad city.
