Soldiers’ presence at polling stations new, interesting

PESHAWAR: The soldiers deployed inside the polling stations presented a new and interesting sight during the polling day.

Smartly dressed soldiers holding guns stood or sat in the polling booth to keep a close watch on the staff and voters. Policemen also performed security duty at the polling stations, mostly outside in the premises or at the gate.

At the polling station set up at the Government Primary School in Khan Zameer Banda in Shamozai village in Mardan’s Katlang tehsil, the lone soldier performing duty said he belonged to Chakwal district. He said his artillery regiment was based in Attock and had been deployed for election duty.

The soldiers’ presence was reassuring for the voters and the election staffers as many among them were concerned due to the spate of terrorist attacks during the election campaign. Security was their main concern and they had hoped the government and Election Commission of Pakistan would focus attention on this issue.

Polling was brisk at this polling station in the morning, but it slowed down as the weather became hot by noon. The turnout of voters increased in the afternoon and during the closing hours after 5 pm until 6 pm. The polling officials said until noon around 450 votes had been polled of the 1,269 voters registered there.