ISLAMABAD: Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) said that large-scale deployment of police and Rangers ensured peaceful conduct during the by-elections in NA-258 (Malir, Karachi-XX).
Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) and Ahle Sunnat Wal Jammat boycotted the by-election, alleging interference by the Pakistan People’s Party-led (PPP) provincial government. This dampened the voters’ interest.
According to a press release, no candidate from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was set forth. PPP’s Abdul Hakeem Baloch was among the
11 candidates who were competing for the seat. Baloch previously wo
n the same seat on a PML-N ticket i
n the 2013 general election, but resigned after developing differences with the party.
FAFEN trained and deployed 40 unbiased citizens (34 men an
d six women) to observe the polling procedures at 287 polling st
ations. This report contains telephonically gathered informa
tion from 127 polling st
ations. Observers were trained to observe the opening, closing and counting processes at the polling st
ations. According to FAFEN observers, voters showed little interest i
n the election as the overall turnout remained low. Observers reported procedural irregularities from different polling st
ations throughout the day, however, the electoral exercise remained peaceful.
There were 271 irregularity reports from 127 polling st
ations – 14 male, 14 female and 99 combined – on polling day, averaging 2.1 incidents per polling station. This was significantly higher tha
n the average of one irregularity per polling station recorded during Shikarpur by-election (PS-11) last month. Election materials, such as elec
tion forms, were insufficient and that continued to be one of the major issues reported by the observers.
Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) code of conduct for political parties and contesting candidates that forbid contestants to establish camps within 400-yards of the polling st
ations could not be enforced by the extensive presence of security personnel. Observers reported the presence of such camps outside 31 (24.4%) polling st
ations. These camps continued to issue serial number slips holding the party symbol to potential voters. Voters carrying such serial number slips were seen inside 53 (41.7%) of the observed polling st
ations.
ECP showed a greater interest in monitoring its own staff as presiding officers at 27 polling st
ations told FAFEN observers that monitoring teams had visited their polling st
ations.
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