Islamabad: The voters registered in twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad turned up in large numbers at polling stations to poll their votes as shopping areas and picnic spots gave a deserted look.
The voters started reaching polling stations even before commencement of the polling time but they were irked by slow polling process. “If the twin cities do not experience highest turn out in the history of general elections, the only reason will be the slow polling process in a number of polling station,” said Muhammad Awais, a resident of UC-14 Satellite Town.
The unprecedented interest shown by residents of Islamabad and Rawalpindi could be gauged from the fact that they preferred to participate in the election process instead of taking their families to shopping areas, picnic spots and food outlets.
The public transport was not seen on roads of the twin cities while there were very few private vehicles plying on busy roads like 9th Avenue, 7th Avenue, Jinnah Avenue and Kashmir Highway. The metro bus service continued to ply as per routine but most of buses were carrying less than 10 passengers.
Some of female and male voters reaching at different polling stations were supporters of different political parties and independent candidates. However, they feel that regardless of result out of polling, it was victory day for democratic Pakistan.
It goes without saying that the credit of attracting young voters and residents of posh areas of the twin cities particularly of the federal capital goes to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). Whatever be result coming from different polling stations, it is an understood fact that young generation and population of posh areas have liking for PTI. The voters were satisfied with security arrangements but the media teams were not happy with restrictions imposed on them. A number of journalists came to know only on Wednesday morning they could not take their mobile phones inside whereas they would be permitted inside polling stations only for one minute.
“We have directions that the media cannot carry mobiles inside while you also are not allowed to stay inside for more than one minute,” a police official deputed in a polling station of Sector I-9 said.
Like other parts of the country, the polling time in twin cities also ended at 6 p.m. and only those voters who were inside the polling stations were allowed to cast their votes. Except from few incidents of exchange sloganeering and harsh words between supporters of different political parties, the overall situation in twin cities remained peaceful.