NAROWAL, Aug 25: The polling was held amid tight security on Thursday in the district’s 74 union councils where 3,267 candidates contested local polls on Thursday, with not more than 35 per cent voters’ turnout.

Despite the beefed-up security in the district, aerial firing incidents were reported from Narowal and Shakargarh tehsils’ various rural polling stations, including Ikhlaaspur, Rayyah and Shah Gharib, where rival groups created panic among the voters and voting remained suspended for up to two hours. However, no causality or injury was yet reported from any part of the district.

No rush of voters was witnessed at the polling stations of Narowal and Shakargarh cities, where army troops kept patrolling in the sensitive areas. The para-military troops were deputed at almost all the polling stations by the district administration to avert any untoward incident.

The polling also remained suspended at the Government Muslim College for Women, Pejo Shah, Elementary College and Gurudowara School polling stations in Narowal city for about one hour each due to various election disputes.

Police and polling staff caught two persons red-handed while casting bogus votes at Elementary College and Panju Shah polling stations.

At many polling stations in the district, local election commission authorities issued the ballot papers without the symbols allotted to some candidates, who protested against the irregularity. Ballot paper shortage was also reported from many urban and rural polling stations.

SP (investigation) Amjad Karim Butt told the journalists that the overall situation remained peaceful in the district.

Meanwhile, Local PML-N and PPP leaders alleged that the ruling party MNAs, MPAs, federal and provincial ministers violated election code in Shakargarh tehsil, from where some reports about alleged rigging were also received. However, no rigging incident was reported from Narowal city.

WOMEN CANDIDATES: Three women are contesting for union council nazim slots in the district, while three others are in the run for naib-nazim slots. Fazeelat Begum, Saeeda Parveen and Shamim Akhtar are contesting for nazim slot in UC 59, Sarjal, 61, Dinga Narayanpur, and UC 63, Darman, respectively.

Zubeda Fardous, Farzana Bibi and Shazia Jabbin are contesting for naib-nazim slots with male nazims in UC 38, Jassar, 58, Tola and UC 61, Dinga Narayanpur.

Two US embassy officials also visited various polling stations in the district to observe the poll conduct.