Pakistan elections draw lowest voter turnout

A record low of 25 to 30 per cent voter turnout was reported in Pakistan's most controversial elections to the national and provincial assemblies. The polling was surprisingly peaceful except for a few incidents of violence in the port city of Karachi.

The voter turnout was exceptionally low due to a boycott call given by the Jamait Islami, fear of violence and lack of enthusiasm among the people.

One person was reported killed when two rival groups clashed outside the polling station in Karachi, reports received here said.

Pakistani Law and Defence Minister Shahid Hamid said the voting percentage was between 25 and 30 per cent of the electorate of 56 million. Due to adequate security arrangements and heavy deployment of the army and paramilitary forces, the elections were most peaceful and violence-free, he said.

No major incidents of violence were reported barring stray incidents in the sensitive port city.

Reports said that unlike other places, voting was moderate to brisk in some areas of the Punjab province, including Lahore where Pakistan Muslim League chief Mian Nawaz Sharif is locked in a ten-cornered contest. Pakistan Tahrik Insaf Party chief Imran Khan is contesting against the Muslim League from the constituency.

Polling stations in the capital were found deserted. Very few people had turned up to exercise their franchise in one of the most bitterly-fought elections.

Polling remained dull throughout the day. The number of women voters at the polling stations was extremely low.

Today's election will decide the fate of 1,863 candidates for 214 national assembly seats. Elections in three constituencies were postponed due to the death of the candidates. There are 4,103 candidates in the field for the four provincial assemblies.

Over 500,000 army and paramilitary personnel were deployed all over the country for the conduct of smooth, free and fair elections. Each polling booth was guarded by four to five armymen to prevent trouble.

The authorities made extraordinary security arrangements in sensitive areas.

The defence minister said that the government succeeded in holding violence-free elections. At some places the Jamait Islami workers and activists tried to prevent the people from exercising their franchise.

Counting of ballots started soon after the polling ended and the first of the results is expected by midnight.

Fifty-four political parties had fielded candidates for elections to the national and the provincial assemblies.

Polling was also reported to be smooth and peaceful in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, where the caretaker government introduced adult franchise for the first time.

The people were most disinterested in the elections. ''How many times will we vote to elect our representatives,'' people asked.

Four elections have been held in eight years and no government has completed its full term.

The election commission report said that Mian Nawaz Sharif cast his ballot in Lahore while ousted prime minister Benazir Bhutto stamped her ballot in her hometown Larkana. Imran Khan could not vote.

Poll analysts indicate that Nawaz Sharif's Muslim League is expected to emerge as the single largest party in today's elections while the Pakistan People's Party would be the runners-up. The Tahrik Insaf Party may fare badly despite the fact that Imran Khan drew huge crowds at his election rallies.

The elections will decide the fate of a number of veterans including Begum Nusrat Bhutto, Ghinwa Bhutto, Sheikh Abdul Rashid, Khan Abdul Wali Khan, Gowhar Ayub, son of former president General Ayub Khan, and Major General Nasrullah Khan Babbar, former home minister, who is held responsible for the killing of Mohajirs in the Sindh province.

UNI