PESHAWAR: Though turnout was remarkably low, enthusiasm was high at the election camps of different political parties and independent candidates in the by-election on NA-4, held peacefully amid unprecedented security measures on Thursday.
The unofficial results showed that only 25 percent voters turned out to use the right to vote, which is enough to prove that even the vigorous campaign run by different political parties failed to attract more and more voters.
The NA-4 is big constituency comprised of some very rough and tough areas, which were once badly affected by the wave of militancy, while some parts of the constituency are known for outlaws. Therefore, the peaceful arrangement of the polls can rightly be termed as the real success, apart from the victory of the winning candidate.
The security arrangements were very strict. Some 7,000 security personnel of police, army and paramilitary forces had been deployed to avert any untoward happening and ensure fair-play in the polls.
Starting from the urban parts of the constituency and moving across the very remote polling station, interesting scenes were witnessed.
Deh Bahadar was the first union council visited by this reporter. All candidates had established election camps adjacent to each other under their respective party’s flags, banners and posters.
They were facilitating and guiding voters. Former provincial president and ex-senior minister Rahimdad Khan and Abid Ali Shah, both from Mardan, were sitting at the Pakistan People’s Party camp to boost the morale of their workers and gather support for their candidate Asad Gulzar. Rahimdad Khan was confident of the victory of his party’s candidate. He was also satisfied over the election process.
Adjacent to them was the election camp of Tehreek-e-Labaik, where bearded supporters of Dr Muhammad Shafiq Ameeni wearing white turbans were trying to attract voters by playing Naats through loudspeakers.
The activists of the Milli Muslim League (MML), sitting in another camp nearby, seemed confident of making an upset in the polls. The attendance in the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) camp was thin. Former provincial minister Kashif Azam was seen guiding his workers but the activists of PTI wearing tricolor caps were more active than their opponents.
The camps in Badaber were full of the ANP workers. Pointing to red caps and flags, the workers said the entire Badaber is a stronghold of ANP and its candidate Khushdil Khan. The attendance in PPP, JI and rest of the camps were thin but the PTI and PML-N voters were visible.
The authorities had blocked main road through barbed wires. Traffic had been diverted. Visitors were not allowed to enter polling stations without identity cards in the remote Tela Band village. Like the PTI, attendance in PPP camp was higher than the others.
The commoners on road and shops were enjoying discussion of the elections. Referring to the backwardness of their areas, they said every party had ruled the province and country but they were living in such miserable condition, where they even lacked basic necessities of life.
Soon after closing voting, this correspondent visited the residence of PPP candidate Asad Gulzar where the provincial leaders Sardar Ali Khan, Khanzada Khan were anxiously watching election results with their supporters. The spacious hujra of Asad Gulzar was full to its capacity and the supporters had glued to television. But the announcement of some unofficial results disappointed them and they started pushing off from the venue.