KARACHI, May 11: Election activity for the two national and four provincial assembly seats in Malir district received a mixed response from people whose overwhelming majority appreciated the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for printing pictures of eligible voters on electoral lists.

However, no special ballot paper with ‘unique features’ was found being used. The polling staff also didn’t find anything ‘unusual’ with what was said to be a ‘magnetized ink’ that could help trace biometric record of each voter to verify allegations of bogus voting.

Polling agents in some cases pointed out discrepancies in the electoral lists, which, they said, forced their voters to return home, while presiding officers complained that they were being pressured to ignore ECP guidelines and allow voters according to the old lists of voters.

There was no bar on carrying cellphones as police deputed at the polling stations expressed unawareness over such a restriction imposed by the ECP.

Unlike other districts, hardly any person in Malir district, whom Dawn spoke to, used the 8300 messaging service to know their polling station. There were many who had no idea of their polling station. “I have wasted two hours to get my vote cast but still I have no clue where I should go. None of the polling stations I have visited had my name on the electoral list,” said a woman at the Razakabad polling station where a number of women belonging to the minority communities were found sitting clueless since morning about where they could cast their vote.

Of the dozen polling stations visited by this correspondent, the army, along with Rangers and police, was found deployed at only one polling station — the area of Chattai Ground in Malir City that has seen many gun battles between supporters of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and the banned People’s Amn Committee. The heavily-guarded polling station also had CCTV cameras in place.

Most of the other polling stations in the district were manned by the police.

Polling staff at some places complained they received the poll material only this morning. They said they brought it from the Malir district court, while no arrangements were made for their assistance.

Polling pattern, like previous years, at various stations was distinctively divided on ethnic lines with supporters belonging to specific parties operating exclusively in their ‘own’ areas. For instance, polling camps of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) attracted voters in Saudabad, Malir Extension, Kalaboard and Khokhrapar while a few camps of the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) were also there. PPP supporters were found active in urban slums and villages, including those inhabited by fishermen.

Most people that included voters, presiding officers and polling agents Dawn spoke to said that the election system devised by the present government was much better than the previous one.

“There is no chaos which was earlier a hallmark of every polling day. There is less interference by political workers and the process is much swift,” said a woman at Saudabad Govt College that had over 2,000 registered voters. About 30 per cent votes had been cast by 11am here.

Voters at Hawk Grammar School in Khokharapar No 2 faced great difficulty as the four-room school was crammed with people while a large number of them had queued up outside the polling station.

About 60pc votes at Agro Technical School, Razzakabad, with 1,672 registered voters, part of NA-258 and PS-130, according to the presiding officer, were cast by 1pm.

However, the authorities at the Malir Cantonment Board, part of the NA-257 and PS-127 constituencies, refused to allow media visit to polling stations.

No presiding officer at any polling station reported casting of tender vote.