Lack of communication affects polling in upper Hazara

MANSERHA: The polling, which remained almost peaceful, wrapped up in the upper parts of Hazara division on Thursday, although people faced problems due to lack of mobile phone services.

The polling, starting at the stipulated time in the morning, remained peaceful in Mansehra, Torghar, Kolai-Palas, Upper Kohistan, and Lower Kohistan districts, as no untoward incidents were reported anywhere.

“Most of the voters in urban parts of Hazara division couldn’t use the Election Commission of Pakistan’s polling station and other data search services and wandered here and there the entire day to locate their respective polling stations,” stated Mohammad Ajmal, a local resident.

He added that it was the first time in the country’s history that internet and cellular phone services were suspended by companies concerned during the general elections.

The polling in far-off parts of the division could not start on time owing to the late delivery of polling materials.

The counting of the votes started till the filling of this report, and results even started pouring in at some of the urban polling stations just within the first hour of conclusion of the polling process.