ISLAMABAD: Although there were sporadicincidentsofirregularitiesina politically tense environment, a generally peaceful by-election in Karachi`s PS-114 constituency indicated improved enforcement of electoral regulations by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) with the security assistance by Rangers, said the Free and Fair Election Network (Fafen) in its reportreleased onSunday.

Intense election campaigns by candidates of all major political parties, including the Pakistan Peoples PartyParliamentarians, Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, Jamaat-i-Islami and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl, encouraged an improved turnout of voters in the metropolis between 35 and 40 per cent.

The turnout in local government elections and recent by-elections in Karachi had registered a sharp decline amid the politically disruptive split of the MQM. By-elections in Karachi in the recent past had shown a marginal turnout of voters.

Fafen observers recorded a total of 83 violations from 36 polling stations, averaging 2.3 violations per polling station, which is slightly lower than 2.5 violations reported in the previous byelection for PS-81 in Sanghar, Sindh.

However, candidates and their agents expressed concern over the quality of voting process, alleging widespread irregularities and rigging.

Suspicious voting patterns wereobserved at two polling booths in as many polling stations where voting rate was higher than 45 votes per hour.

Polling staff at one polling booth cannot process more than 45 votes in an hour.

According to the Fafen observers, smooth opening processes were observed in most of the polling stations, except polling station number 10 where the presiding officer was not present at the time of the opening of the station. At one polling station, unauthorised persons were found to be present at the start of the polling.

Election material was found to be inadequate at most polling stations. Copies of statement of the count (result form) and ballot paper account forms did not match the number of candidates at 13 and 24 polling stations, respectively.No promotional material of any candidate or party was witnessed inside any ofthe 36 pollingstations observed by Fafen. However, illegal campaigning and canvassing outside the polling stations was not curbed in full as party camps were observed to have been established within 400 yards of polling premises at around 14 stations.

Similarly, candidates were providing transport facility to voters at 18 polling stations. Voters were also seen carrying `voter chits` bearing party symbols at six polling stations, which are not permissible under the law and relevant court rulings, the report said.

Security personnel effectively managed law and order in and around polling stations, though more investments are needed to equip them with legal information regarding their roles andresponsibilities.Security personnelat five polling stations told observers that they did not undergo any training.

Rangers did not allow Fafen observers to enter two polling stations, though they were carrying the accreditation cards issued by the ECP.

The commission`s internal monitoring teams remained active with presiding officers at 15 polling stations confirming that the ECP teams had visited there. Returning officers or other ECP officials visited 22 polling stations.

The PS-114 seat fell vacant after the Supreme Court declared void the victory of PML-N`s Irfanullah Marwat in the 2013 general election. Twentyseven candidates contested the by-election and 92 polling stations 90 combined and one each for maleand female were set up in the constituency.

Fafen trained and deployed 15 nonpartisan citizens, including three women, to observe polling processes at 73 polling stations. However, the preliminary report comprises information acquired from 36 (39pc) polling stations observed by Fafen. Its members underwent a day-long training to observe the opening, voting, closing and counting processes at polling stations.

The constituency registered a four per cent increase in the number of registered voters since 2013. There was an overall increase of almost five per cent in the number of women voters and three per cent in the number of male voters in the constituency between 2013 and 2017.